Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has also appealed to local government units (LGUs) to give the public and business establishments enough time to prepare for the granular lockdowns to be enforced in their areas.
Gatchalian made the appeal on Monday, September 20, as he expressed support for the government's decision to further open up the country's economy while still controlling the spread of COVID-19.
“I am in favor of granular lockdown as long as the public is informed in advance para makapagplano sila (so they could plan ahead)," the senator said in a statement.
"Like for example, kung bababa tayo to alert level 3, 'yong capacity ng restaurants at 50 percent al fresco obviously kailangan mo ng mas maraming waiter. Papapasukin mo 'yong mga waiters mo (if we are to downgrade to an alert level 3, the 50-percent capacity of restaurants would obviously need more waiters. You have to call your waiters to work)," he said.
"Hindi pwedeng surprise announcement ‘yan kasi kawawa 'yong mga negosyo (There should be no surprise announcement because businesses will suffer) and this alert level is really meant for economic activity,” Gatchalian pointed out.
The Senate Committee on Economic Affairs vice chairperson said he is amenable to the principle behind the new policies.
“This is really a balancing act. Kahit mataas 'yong COVID-19 cases, nakakapag trabaho na ‘yong mga kababayan natin (Despite the surge of COVID-19 cases, our countrymen can work)," he said.
The government last September 16 started testing a new alert level system over Metro Manila, in a bid to allow more economic activities while imposing granular lockdowns in the region.
Under the guidelines of the Interagency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), the authority to impose granular lockdown was given to the city and municipal mayors. The granular lockdowns shall be for a period of not less than 14 days.
The declaration of granular lockdowns by local chief executives shall be provisionally effective immediately and shall include due notice to the Regional Inter-Agency Task Force (RIATF) which will immediately act on the said declaration.
But the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) earlier said the LGUs are given a leeway whether to impose a sudden lockdown or provide a 12-hour notice to the affected localities.
"The public needs to be informed in advance because how can you plan? It has to be broadcast ahead of time so that ‘yong mga negosyo, pwede silang magplano (so they can plan ahead),” Gatchalian emphasized.
Last September 15, Senator Grace Poe also asked LGUs not to employ the "shock an awe" tactic in enforcing the granular lockdowns.