Iloilo City imposes border controls amid MECQ

Iloilo City will close its borders starting today, May 26, 2021, as it continues to control the spread of Covid-19 under modified enhance community quarantine (MECQ).

Mayor Jerry Treñas issued an executive order (EO) on Tuesday imposing a city-wide border control effective until May 31, 2021.

Entry and exit to and from Iloilo City by way of land, sea, and air travel shall no longer be allowed except for work purposes, medical needs, accessing government services, transport of goods and/or construction materials, and humanitarian purposes.

The city will continue to receive returning Overseas Filipino Workers (ROFs), locally stranded individuals (LSIs), and authorized persons outside residence (APORs).

In a media interview on Tuesday, Jeck Conlu head of the Public Safety and Transport Management Office (PSTMO) said that border control checkpoints will be established and manned by the Philippine National Police (PNP).

The border control checkpoints will be established particularly in the Mohon, Arevalo; So-oc, Arevalo; Calajunan, Mandurriao; Hibao-an Sur, Mandurriao; and Ungka, Buhang, Tagbak, Lanit, and Bito-on in the district of Jaro.

Aside from the border control, the EO also mandated additional health protocols particularly for non-essential businesses.

Under the EO, establishments which are allowed to operate on full-site capacity are:

public and private hospitals;

health emergency and frontline services;

manufacturers of medicines and vitamins, medical supplies, devices and equipment;

industries involved in agriculture, forestry, fishery and other components of the food value chain and workers;

essential and priority construction projects whether public or private;

manufacturing related to food and other essential goods such as but not limited to detergents, diapers, and other personal hygiene products;

essential retail and trade service establishments such as public markets, supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, and pharmacies, among others.

Meanwhile, food preparation establishments such as restaurants and food kiosks can operate full-time provided that no-dine-in services will be allowed.

Media establishments will be allowed to operate at a maximum of 50% capacity while business processing outsourcing establishments (BPOs) may operate at a maximum of 30% capacity.

Other industries such as dental, rehabilitation, optometry and other medical clinics; veterinary clinics; banks, money transfer services including pawnshops; energy sector; capital markets; water supply services; telecommunication companies; funeral and embalming services; establishments engaged in repair and maintenance of machinery, equipment of households and motorized and non-motorized vehicles; and teachers, professors, and other staff conducting online or flexible classes must adopt skeletal workforce.

The EO also mandated the temporary closure of the Iloilo Esplanades, playgrounds, and courts in all public plazas.

On Monday, the Inter-Agency Task Force finally approved the MECQ classification of Iloilo City following the appeal of the local government to curb the rising cases of Covid-19.