(Eagle News) – More areas are placed under community quarantine protocols with restrictions in the country as the number of single-day cases added to the country had breached 10,000.
President Rodrigo Duterte announced that while the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) protocol is to prevail over Metro Manila or the National Capital Region and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal until April 4, it is still “subject to further review.”
He also announced these areas to be placed under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ):
-Quirino province from April 1 to 15;
-and the City of Santiago in Isabela from April 1 to 30.
President Duterte also announced these areas to be placed under General Community Quarantine from April 1 to 30:
-the entire Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR);
-in Region 2: Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya;
-in Region 4-A: Batangas
-in Region 8: Tacloban City
-in Region 10: Iligan City
-in Region 11: Davao City;
-and in BARMM: Lanao del Sur
The rest of the country will be placed under the more relaxed Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ).
The list from the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF).
Before reading the newest IATF Bulletin, the President said he is having a “hard time” grappling with the COVID-19 problem as he wanted to ease the burden of Filipinos.
“Lahat ng Pilipino ay mahal ko, kasi kadugo ko,” he said at the start of his public address.
“Ako ang pinakahuling tao sa Pilipinas na magpapahirap sa Pilipino. If only I had the power, like a magic wand na maalis ko agad ang problema sa atin, gagawin ko.”
During his “Talk to the Nation” Monday night, President Duterte also announced that he is allowing the private sector to import vaccines against COVID-19.
He also signed the Supplemental Amelioration Program proposed by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) that would provide assistance to intended families and individuals affected by the imposed Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in the National Capital Region (NCR) and the adjacent provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal.
Malacanang said that “an estimated 22.9 million beneficiaries or 80% from the low-income population of the five (5) aforementioned provinces will be receiving financial assistance.”
“Funding source of PhP23 billion came from the balance of the Bureau of the Treasury’s (BTr) certified sources for the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2) Validity extended until June 30, 2021 pursuant to Republic Act No. 11519,” the Palace said in a statement.
DBM Secretary Wendel Avisado said that the funds would be directly released to the local government units (LGUs) for distribution to the recipients in the form of in-kind, such as goods or commodities.
President Duterte also called on national government officials to expedite the process of aid distribution “so as not to add any more distress to the affected people in the ECQ areas.”
(Eagle News Service)
