By Bonita Ermac
ILIGAN CITY – Mayor Celso G. Regencia signed Executive Order no. 40, declaring the city under modified community quarantine (MCQ) effective May 1.
EO 40 cited that, during the period of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), the city had no record of local transmission of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
However, Regencia stressed that the city could not afford to be complacent since there was yet no known effective vaccine or medicine to prevent, or cure the viral disease.
Hence, he said there was still a need to limit and regulate the movement of the people, vehicles, conveyances, animals, goods, products, and other materials within the territorial boundaries of the city, and within the city itself.
Some of the changes included in the EO were the implementation of barangay clustering and color-coding system that will be followed by holders of home quarantine pass (HQP) during the period.
Previously, holders of home quarantine pass (HQP) were only allowed to go out to access basic necessities, pay bills, and transact business on specific days as scheduled by the Iligan Inter-Agency Task Force on COVID-19.
"This measure will prevent market congestion now that the city government has relaxed its community quarantine, said IMT incident commander Fire Chief Inspector Butch Baulete.
Having said that "although we downgraded we did not remove the movement restriction. COVID is an unseen enemy, it has no vaccine or cure yet so we should remain vigilant, Baulete said.
He said maintaining the movement restriction was also recommended by both the Local Health Board and Iligan Medical Society.
Clustered as Group 1 (Color Red) are Barangays Buru-un, Ditucalan, Maria Cristina, Suarez, and Upper Tominobo. Group 2 (Color Orange) are Abuno, Sta. Elena, Tambacan, Tipanoy, Tomas Cabili, and Tubod.
Mahayahay, Pala-o, Poblacion, Puga-an, Ubaldo Laya, and Villaverde belongs to Group 3 (Color Yellow) while Bagong Silang, Del Carmen, Hinaplanon, San Miguel, Santiago, Saray, Sto. Rosario, and Tibanga are Group 4 (Color Green).
Clustered as Group 5 (Color Blue) are Bonbonon, Digkilaan, Dulag, Kalilangan, Lanipao, Luinab, Mainit, Mandulog, Panoroganan, San Roque, Rogongon, and Upper Hinaplanon while Acmac, Bunawan, Dalipugam Hindang, Kabacsanan, Kiwalan and Sta. Filomena belong to Group 6 (Color Violet).
For the assigned days, Groups Red and Violet are scheduled Mondays and Thursdays, Groups Orange and Blue every Tuesday and Friday, and Group Yellow and Green every Wednesday and Saturday.
Meanwhile, Baulete said they added security features in the new centralized HQPs to ensure that they would not be used by other people. These include QR code, color code, control number, and watermark.
He called on residents to follow their schedule and cooperate citing that those who will misuse the HQPs would be penalized.
New curfew hours will also be in effect from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.