Lopez wants eased age restrictions in Metro Manila

MANILA, Philippines — Following the relaxation of age restrictions in areas under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), Metro Manila should also ease its quarantine age limits to allow the further opening of the capital region’s economy, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said Monday.

“Opo, siyempre po. Of course,” Lopez said in a Palace briefing when asked if he wants Metro Manila mayors to also relax the age restrictions in the National Capital Region.

He earlier proposed to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Diseases (IATF) to let 10-year-old children go out with their parents, explaining that families accounted for 30% to 50% of outdoor consumption.

While Metro Manila mayors are not against easing age restrictions to further open up the economy, they also want to consider the health risks of allowing more people to go outside, Lopez said.

“I am talking to the mayors, sila rin po, sinasabi nila na gusto rin nilang makabangon ‘yung ekonomiya dahil tumatama din sa kanila ito,” he added.

(I am talking to the mayors, they also say they want the economy to recover.)

“May mindset din po na gusto rin nila magkaroon ng economic recovery pero siyempre, on the other hand, binabalanse nila, worried din sila na ayaw nilang biglang ma-challenge ‘yung health system capacity or biglang dumami naman ‘yung cases,” Lopez said.

(They also have the mindset that they want economic recovery but they are also balancing it. They are also worried because they don’t want the health system capacity challenged or the number of cases will increase again.)

Lopez said local government units (LGUs) have the prerogative to determine the age of the people they would allow going outside of their homes.

The DTI, however, urged LGUs to consider easing age restrictions, especially in Metro Manila and other provinces in Calabarzon, which are considered as centers of economic activity.

‘Yung unti-unting pagre-relax, as long as compliant ang taumbayan, kahit anong age ‘yan, kahit anong community classification, safe po unti-unting lumalabas, safe po basta mag-comply sa physical distancing et cetera,” Lopez said.

(The relaxing of restrictions, as long as the public is compliant, whether what age or community classification, it’s safe.)

Persons aged 10 to 65 in MGCQ areas will be allowed to step out of their homes by February 1, as approved by the IATF.

Previously, only individuals aged 15 to 65 years old were allowed outside.

In an earlier interview, Metro Manila Council (MMC) chairman and Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez revealed that majority of Metro Manila mayors oppose the easing of quarantine age restriction.

The MMC will conduct a meeting Tuesday night to discuss its recommendation to the IATF, he added.

All cities in Metro Manila, which is still under GCQ, have not allowed children aged below 18 years old into malls and have also barred minors from leaving their homes for leisure purposes.

KGA