Two things first:
[1] One, as of this writing (Monday afternoon, Jan. 27). Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella has not yet ordered a ban on Chinese tourists in his city since the breakout of coronavirus in Wuhan City, China.
On Jan. 26, he was reported as “mulling,” “is ready” and “will not hesitate” to ban Chinese tourists. What will set off the order is “the threat” to residents of his city: thus he will “coordinate with health agencies and wait for their recommendations.”
[2] No specifics were given on who will be covered by the ban and how it will be implemented.
Who will be covered?
“Chinese tourists,” the city mayor said, will be covered. Any tourist from China or any Chinese national? Will the basis be origin or nationality? Limiting it to “Chinese tourists” may exclude all non-Chinese who visited China and are taking a side trip to Cebu. How about Filipinos, say, Cebuanos, who are visiting or coming home to Cebu after their China travel? Defining the application of the ban is important.
Obviously, the mayor’s order has to be enforced at all ports of entry. That will require the help of such non-local agencies as the Department of Immigration, Maritimg Industry Authority, the Civil Aviation Authority and other national offices that can legally stop the entry of a traveler. City Hall would have no personnel or authority to restrict entry or deport anyone.
National agencies
The mayor’s ban assumes that national agencies will comply with the local order. A resolution of the Senate, for example, declaring as “persona non grata” the Singaporean owner of Angkas will need the national agencies to enforce. The order of a local government unit may carry much less weight. Local business establishments, especially hotels and tourist facilities, and the police may be tapped but the ports of entry, which national agencies control, will be crucial.
Then there’s the matter of “clustering orders” to be effective. How would a ban in Cebu City alone work if other cities and towns of Cebu do not issue a similar ban? A Chinese tourist may be allowed entry in Lapu-Lapu City or some other port of entry and from there he can travel to other parts of Cebu and the country where there is no ban.
They’re acting on it
That may sound petty but not now when even a broad outline of the ban is not known to the public. They haven’t released details on implementing Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia’s executive order banning pork meat, hog-related products and boar semen from Luzon–-started in September last year and reportedly extended this January for another 100 days. But spotting and seizing contraband meat in the market would be easier than identifying and restricting visitors to the city.
Whoever and however the planned ban would be carried out, what is significant is that Cebu’s leaders are just speaking out and being heard; they are acting to avert a serious threat to our community.
Other concerns
The public’s hope is that they will expand the activism and fresh energy to other “national issues,” similar concerns that require national policy and resources to fully tackle. Such as traffic, urban blight and rampant unsolved murders.