The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) has approved the recommendation to lower the alert level in the National Capital Region (NCR) from alert level 4 to alert level 3, for the period of Oct. 16, 2021 to Oct. 31, 2021.
This was bared in a statement late afternoon Wednesday, Oct. 13 by Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque. Roque is also the spokesperson of the IATF.
President Duterte subsequently approved the alert level downgrade in NCR via Executive Order (EO) No.112, Malacañang reporters learned a few minutes after receiving the statement.
The lowering of alert level in NCR or Metro Manila during the last quarter of the year has been aggressively sought by the private sector, saying the increased capacities that go with it will bode well for business amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
The alert levels are observed under the Alert Level System (ALS), a classification strategy exclusive to NCR.
Roque, in the statement, said IATF also approved placing Apayao, Kalinga, Batanes, Bulacan, Bataan, Cavite, Rizal, Laguna, and Naga City for Luzon; and Zamboanga City and Zamboanga del Norte for Mindanao under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).
Placed under general community quarantine (GCQ) with heightened restrictions were the provinces or Abra, Baguio City, Ilocos Sur, Pangasinan, Cagayan, Isabela, City of Santiago, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Quezon, and Batangas for Luzon; Bacolod City, Capiz, Lapu-Lapu City, Negros Oriental, and Bohol for the Visayas; and Zamboanga del Sur, Misamis Oriental, Cagayan de Oro City, Davao del Norte, Davao Occidental, Davao de Oro, Butuan City, and Surigao del Sur for Mindanao.
Also placed under GCQ were Ilocos Norte, Dagupan City, Ifugao, Benguet, Tarlac, Lucena City, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Puerto Princesa, Marinduque, Albay, and Camarines Norte for Luzon; Aklan, Antique, Guimaras, Negros Occidental, Iloilo City, Iloilo Province, Cebu City, Cebu Province, Mandaue City, Siquijor, and Tacloban City for the Visayas; and Zamboanga Sibugay, Misamis Occidental, Iligan City, Davao City, Davao Oriental, Davao del Sur, General Santos City, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Dinagat Islands, Cotabato City, and Lanao del Sur for Mindanao.
"All other areas shall be placed under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ)," the statement read.
"This latest risk-level classification shall take effect beginning Oct. 16, 2021 until Oct. 31, 2021," it added.