Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año warned on Monday, July 12, that appropriate charges will be filed against mall administrators if they allow children inside their premises.

This as the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of the Emerging Infectious Diseases (ITF-MEID) allowed children five years old and above to go outside their residences in areas under the modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) and general community quarantine (GCQ).

In an interview, Año emphasized that it is untimely to allow kids inside malls as the national government still has to “ramp up our (coronavirus disease-2019) vaccinations until we achieve the population protection level.’’ before children are free to enter the malls.

“Then maybe, we can ease the restrictions further to include allowing kids to the malls,’’ Año said.

With children still barred inside the malls, Año urged the public to report such incidents immediately to the “mall security officer or to the nearest PNP (Philippine National Police) desk.’’

“Normally may PNP desk sa mga malls (Normally there is a PNP desk in the malls),’’ he added.

In the event the mall does not take action, Año assured that the DILG can impose appropriate actions against the mall owners/administrators.

Many were delighted when the national government eased the restrictions on children aged five and above saying that this will boost the country’s economy aside from being a welcome relief of the kids boredom, stress and other mental issues.

However, skeptics disagreed with the relaxed quarantine rules complaining that the move is too risky with the possibility of more COVID-19 cases, a distinct probability with more people out on the streets.

A July 11 ABS-CBN report disclosed that huge crowds flocked the Manila Baywalk after children aged five years old and above were allowed outside the residence in the MGCQ and GCQ areas.

It was noted that many people in the crowd are bikers and children accompanied by other family members.

But treatment czar and Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega in a July 10 interview over ABS-CBN said that children must still observe standard public health protocols while outdoors with the local government units (LGUs) having the discretion over enforcing the new policy.

Even if the COVID-19 cases in the five year old age group are very low, Vega noted that the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) asked the public that minimum public health standards should still be observed at all times. (Chito A. Chavez)