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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider LGUs urged to pass ordinance mandating wearing of face masks, physical distancing

LGUs urged to pass ordinance mandating wearing of face masks, physical distancing

Published Jul 12, 2020 02:28 pm

The Joint Task Force COVID Shield on Sunday urged local government units  to pass an ordinance that would compel their constituents to wear face mask and observe physical distancing in order to institutionalize the fight against COVID-19 down to the barangay level.

While a number of cities and municipalities have passed an ordinance, there are still LGUs which have yet to pass such, which JTF COVID Shield commander Police Lt. Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar described as a best practice to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar
(PNP / MANILA BULLETIN / FILE PHOTO)

“The reality is that we continue to live under the threat of COVID-19 and experts said it will take months or even years before a vaccine is developed and made available to the public. So the most that we could do now is to take the preventive side and let us do it down to the barangay level,” said Eleazar.

He explained that an existing ordinance for mandatory wearing of face masks and observation of physical distancing will empower the LGU enforcers that include barangay security officers (barangay tanods) and members of the LGUs’ Public Order and Safety to help the government in preventing the spread of the virus.

Based on observations and even on social media posts, some people in General Community Quarantine (GCQ) and Modified GCQ have started being complacent on quarantine rules.

“This is the part when enforcement should be beefed up in order to remind and warn people that the threat of coronavirus infection is still there, and this is where LGUs play a key role especially at the barangay level,” said Eleazar.

He said the police, the military, and other law enforcement agencies are not enough to guard the entire country, and as such, the government needs all the manpower to remind the people of observing at least the minimum healthy safety protocols.

Eleazar said that since barangay tanods and the LGUs own Public Order and Safety personnel have been proven to be effective partners on the maintenance of peace and order in their community, the same template could be used to shield their  communities from coronavirus infection.

While the police, military, and the Coast Guard are doing well to secure the control points for land, air, and sea against COVID-19, Eleazar said they still need more manpower on the preventive part in the fight against COVID-19.

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