Some Negros mayors favor ECQ extension

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – Some mayor in Negros Occidental said there is a need to extend the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in the province to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19.

Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson through Executive Order 20-20 placed the province under ECQ starting March 30 to April 14, 2020.

Don Salvador Benedicto Mayor Marxlen dela Cruz said that “there is a need of extending because I believe we haven’t reached the peak of our cases yet.”

He said the bottom line in extending ECQ is human survival.

“Let’s forget about income lost. Importante buhi! Looking forward that everyone will understand that. We already started mitigation through ECQ, why not continue it until the month end,” dela Cruz said.

Dela Cruz said government assistance may not be enough all the time “but jointly we can work things out with the spirit of survival in mind, and not cry-babies depending on every single thing from the government.”

Cauayan Mayor John Rhey Tabujara also favored the extension of the ECQ.

“Yes as long as we will have massive testing of the PUIs,” he said.

As to the food assistance to residents, “maybe another 15 days will do kaya pa,” Tabujara added.

Moises Padilla Mayor Ella Garcia- Yulo was also for the extension of the ECQ.

“Yes, since only a few have submitted for testing, we are not sure yet about the statistics being published,” Yulo said.

Mayor Salvador Escalante of Cadiz City meanwhile said that he has no objection to an ECQ extension. However, he said that the quarantine must be strictly implemented.

Escalante also said that if the ECQ is extended “another week will deplete the remaining balance of the city’s calamity fund.”

Cadiz City has distributed food packs and relief assistance to all 40,000 households twice already, he said.

Himamaylan Mayor Raymond Tongson said that “it is better if in general it will be community quarantine for LGUs that have no more problems as far as the COVID-19 is concerned.”

He said though that there should be tighter control in LGUs that still have persons under investigation and persons under monitoring as well as maintaining the border lockdown, especially in ports.