ECQ triggers economic jitters

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

The prospect of imposing the very strict Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) amid rising cases of COVID-19 in the city and province of Iloilo has rattled the business community and local chief executives.

On Tuesday evening, reports surfaced that the national task force handling the COVID-19 response recommended to place Iloilo City and province under ECQ from July 16 to 31, 2021 due to the surge in infections for more than a month now.

The recommendation will need approval of Pres. Rodrigo Duterte while local government units were given until Tuesday afternoon to appeal the proposal.

The national task force also recommended the new quarantine status for the following areas:

-Modified ECQ for Aklan, Antique, Bacolod City, and Capiz;

-General Community Quarantine for Guimaras and Negros Occidental.

Implementation of the ECQ would mean closure of most businesses except for essential establishments such as groceries and pharmacies.

In a letter to Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas on Wednesday, the Iloilo Business Club asked the city government to do its utmost to prevent the escalation to ECQ because of its “irreversible repercussions to our local economy.”

“In the consultative meetings we have been having these past weeks to ensure we navigate through the difficulties of being under the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) in almost two months, we have been relentless in our appeal that for economic recovery to ensue, the City must not be under ECQ or MECQ,” the club said.

IBC added that the strict quarantine protocols are “starting to take a toll on our operations and truthfully, our hope for an early economic recovery.”

“Placing the city under ECQ again will put us in a seriously dire economic situation that will surely impact jobs and livelihoods.”

The letter was signed by IBC chair Juan Jose Jamora III and vice chair Terence Uygongco.

Some local chief executives in Western Visayas are also fretting over the economic impact of stricter quarantine measures.

Capiz Governor Esteban Evan “Nonoy” Contreras said he will appeal the recommendation by retaining its current GCQ status because of the economic effects of the two-week MECQ.

Contreras also cited the decreasing number of new cases in Capiz.

Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia said “many Bacolodnons have already lost their jobs and businesses because of the prolonged community quarantine.”

“We will vigorously appeal against the escalation of our community quarantine status… We cannot afford to add more restrictions that will extend the freeze on our economic recovery. Our tireless efforts in trying to battle COVID are resulting in the reduction of cases by 42% in the recent 2 weeks.

Antique Gov. Rhodora Cadiao said they will appeal to slide to the more permissive Modified GCQ citing lower health care facility utilization and lower positivity rate

Mayor Ronnie Dadivas of Roxas City, which is under Capiz province, said they would rather stay under GCQ saying the MECQ policies from June 1-30 were working.

“I am appealing the recent directive of the National IATF. I will request retention of the GCQ status of Roxas City. The June 1 to 30 MECQ is sufficiently working. Active cases are decreasing; now, we only have 161 active cases from more than 600 last month. We have to revive the business sector. Kinahanglan na makatrabaho sang aton kasimanwa agud mabuhi nila ang ila pamilya (Our residents need to work so their families can survive),” Dadivas said.

Earlier, Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas and Iloilo Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. said they will also appeal the proposal to impose the enhanced community quarantine, the strictest of all quarantine protocols.