Additional Guidelines for Areas Under ECQ

April 30, 2020719 views0

In a press conference by Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, he enumerated additional guidelines for areas under the Enhanced Community Quarantine. These guidelines are as follows:

People not Allowed to Go Out of their Homes

Any person below twenty-one (21) years old, those who are sixty (60) years old and above, those with immunodeficiency, comorbidities, or other health risks, and pregnant women, including any person who resides with the aforementioned, shall be required to remain in their residences at all times, except when indispensable under the circumstances for obtaining essential goods and services or for work in permitted industries and offices.

Manufacturing and Processing Plants

Manufacturing and processing plants of basic food products, medicine and vitamins, medical supplies, devices and equipment, and essential products such as but not limited to soap and detergents, diapers, feminine hygiene products, toilet papers and wet wipes, and disinfectants. Provided, that establishments involved in the production, manufacturing, packaging, processing, and distribution of food may operate at a maximum of fifty percent (50%) of their respective workforces unless the supply level of a basic food product warrants a higher capacity, in which case, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is hereby authorized to approve the temporary increase of workforce capacity. Provided, further, that manufacturers of medicines, medical supplies, devices, and equipment, including but not limited to suppliers of input, packaging, and distribution, shall be allowed to operate at full capacity;

Delivery Services

Delivery services whether in-house or outsourced, transporting food, medicine, or other essential goods. Delivery of clothing, accessories, hardware, housewares, school and office supplies as well as pet food and other veterinary products, shall likewise be allowed;

Utility Services

Power, energy, water, information technology, and telecommunications supplies and facilities, including waste disposal services, as well as property management and building utility services.

Airline/Ship Employees Allowed during ECQ

Airline and aircraft maintenance employees, including pilots and crew, and ship captains and crew.

Subject to guidelines to be imposed by DOTr.

Media Establishments

Media establishments, at a maximum operational capacity of fifty percent (50%) of their total permanent staff complement as registered under the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), inclusive of reporters and other field employees, as accredited by the Presidential Communications Operations Office.

Construction Workers

Construction workers accredited by the Department of Public Works and Highways to work on facilities identified for purposes of quarantine and isolation, including such facilities for the health sector, emergency works, flood control, and other disaster risk reduction and rehabilitation works.

Manufacturing Companies and Suppliers Essential for Construction

Manufacturing companies and suppliers of equipment or products necessary to perform construction works;

Railway Projects Workers

Workers accredited by the Department of Transporation (DOTr) to work on utility relocation works, and specified limited works across thirteen (13) railway projects, including replacement works for the Manila Metro Rail Transit System Line 3. Provided, that where applicable, on-site or near-site accommodations and/or point-to-point shuttle services should be arranged.

Employees of PhilPost

Employees of the Philippine Postal Corporation at a capacity necessary to maintain the prompt delivery of services to its clients;

Employees of Philippine Statistics Authority

The Philippine Statistics Authority, at a capacity necessary to conduct data gathering and survey activities related to COVID-19 and the registration and implementation of the national identification (ID) System.

Employees of Funeral and Embalming Services

Funeral and embalming services. Provided, that funeral service operators are directed to provide shuttling services and/or housing accommodations for their personnel and staff.

Civil Society Organizations and Non-Government Organizations

Humanitarian assistance personnel from civil society organizations (CSOs) non-government organizations (NGOs), and United Nations-Humanitarian COuntry Teams, as well as individuals performing relief operations to augment the governments’ response against COVID-19 and other disasters or calamities that may occur. Provided, that they are authorized by the appropriate government agency or LGU.

Pastors, Priests and Imams providing Necrological Services

Pastors, priests, imams or such other religious ministers whose movement shall be related to the conduct of necrological or funeral rites. In this connection, immediate family members of the deceased from causes other than COVID-19 shall be allowed to move from their residences to attend the wake or interment of the deceased upon satisfactory proof of their relationship with the latter and social distancing measures;

Veterinary Clinics and Security Personnel

For the purposes of the foregoing, transit by permitted persons to and from the above establishments anywhere within the area covered by ECQ shall be allowed.

Repatriated OFWs

Repatriated OFWs in compliance with approved quarantine protocols;

Repatriated Non-OFWs

Non-OFWs who may be required to undergo mandatory facility-based quarantine and

Health care workers and other employees from exempted establishments under these Omnibus Guidelines and applicable Memoranda from the Executive Secretary.

On Issuance of Accredited IATF IDs

Regulatory agencies with jurisdiction over permitted establishments or persons are likewise tasked to issue official IATF accreditation IDs. Bona fide IDs issued by establishments exempted from the strict home quarantine requirement shall likewise be honored by law enforcement agencies.

On the RapidPass System

The RapidPass system shall be complementary to the existing IATF IDs issued by the member-agencies which shall continue to be honored in all quarantine checkpoints. Enrollment for RapidPass IDs shall be voluntary and shall only cover qualified private-sector entities or persons. The movement of cargo vehicles shall be unhampered. Cargo vehicles, as well as vehicles used by public utility companies, BPOs, and export-oriented establishments, shall not be subject to an ID system.

The PNP Authority

The PNP retains its authority to conduct inspection procedures in checkpoints only for ensuring that protocols on strict home quarantine are observed.

Government and Private Companies Online Payroll

Government offices and private corporations are encouraged to process payrolls online. However, for those who cannot, payroll managers and such other employees that may be required to process payrolls and print payrolls shall be allowed to travel and operate covering the periods of ECQ.

Amendment on the IATF Resolution No.29

Paragraph (B) of the Inter-Agency Task Force Resolution No.29, s.2020 is hereby amended as follows:

Beginning 16, May 2020, all decisions to impose, lift, or extend a community quarantine in provinces, highly-urbanized cities (HUCs), and independent component cities (ICCs) shall rest with the IATF.

This notwithstanding, provincial governors shall be authorized to impose, lift, or extend ECQ in component cities (CCs) and municipalities upon the concurrence of the relevant regional counterpart body of the IATF. Local Chief Executives of cities and municipalities are authorized to impose, lift, or extend, ECQ in barangays, upon the concurrence of the relevant regional counterpart body of the IATF. This is without prejudice to the authority of the IATF to directly impose, lift, or extend ECQ in these areas should circumstances call for it.

No LGU shall declare its own community quarantine, regardless of nomenclature, without observing the foregoing procedure.