From 21-60 to 18-65: NCR mayors eyeing lockdown age restriction adjustment

(Niño Jesus Orbeta/Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — The Metro Manila Council (MMC) will recommend the adjustment of age restriction on persons allowed to leave their homes amid the general community quarantine (GCQ) in Metro Manila from the current 21 to 60 years old to 18 to 65 years old.

MMC chairman and Paranaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez said Monday that mayors of Metro Manila want to maintain the curfew hours from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. but said they will recommend an adjustment in the age of persons allowed to step out of their residences.

“Sa pag-uusap po namin noong huli, kami po ay nag-usap, ang amin pong consensus ay i-maintain ‘yung curfew na 10 [p.m.] to 5 [a.m.]. Pero magkaroon po kami ng recommendation doon po sa adjustment noong ating mga persons to go out,” he said in an interview on ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo.

(Based on our last discussion, the consensus was to maintain the curfew of 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. But we will have a recommendation on the adjustment of age of restriction on persons allowed to go out.)

“Kasi ngayon po, ‘yung ating persons to go out, ang edad nun is 21 to 60. Ang aming recommendation is baka pwedeng gawing 18 to 65 na po ‘yung mga tao na pwedeng lumabas ng kanilang tahanan,” he added.

(Right now, persons allowed to go out are only those aged 21 to 60. Our recommendation is maybe we can adjust it for those aged 18 to 65.)

Workers and other authorized persons outside of residence (APOR) are still exempted from the curfew, Olivarez said.

Hence, Olivarez said the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) should consider making certain adjustments in the operations of public utility vehicles (PUVs) to accommodate more passengers.

“Kailangan na po pag-isipan ng DOTr, pati ng LTFRB na magbukas ng ating PUV. Kasi ang aming consensus po ay para matulungan po natin ang economy po natin, lakihan naman po ang age ng ating pwedeng palabasin ng bahay,” he said.

(The DOTr and LTFRB should review or consider the operation of more PUVs. Our consensus is that to help our economy recover, we should adjust the age restriction on those allowed to go out of their residences.)

On Saturday, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Infectious Diseases and the mayors in Metro Manila were discussing the possible relaxation of the 10-p.m. to 5-a.m. curfew in the region to allow longer business hours.

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