CEBU CITY – Local chief executives in Cebu have agreed to implement the guidelines set under the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ).
Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV) Secretary Michael Dino led an emergency meeting Friday, July 30, after the Inter-Agency Task Force recommended that the province of Cebu and the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu be placed under MECQ from Aug. 1 to 15.
Aside from Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia, town mayors, officials from the Department of Health Central Visayas, and Police Regional Office also attended the meeting.
Mandaue Mayor Jonas Cortes and Lapu-Lapu Junard Chan earlier expressed their intention to appeal IATF’s recommendation, saying that the two cities should stay under the MGCQ, the most lenient form of community quarantine.
With the outcome of the meeting, tighter border control points will be implemented in various areas in Metro Cebu.
Police Lt. Col. Wilbert Parilla, deputy director for operations of the Cebu City Police Office, said there will be five control points that will be set up around the city in which passing vehicles will be thoroughly checked.
Parilla said police manning the checkpoints will check if health protocols are being followed inside the vehicles especially the public vehicles.
Police are awaiting further advice if presenting quarantine passes will be required from commuters.
Police Col. Engelbert Soriano, chief of the Cebu Provincial Police Office, has instructed the installation of quarantine control points (QCPs). “There should be QCPs in every towns,” said Soriano.