Local bizmen push for freeing up other quarantined areas in Negros Occidental

FOR A group of businessmen in Negros Occidental, there's a need to free up other quarantined areas in the province including Bacolod City but with "precautions and restrictions" amid apprehension on possible extension of the implementation of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

Frank Carbon, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI), said looking at the trend on the number of patients under investigation (PUIs) and persons under monitoring (PUMs), the increase is not yet that fast.

Carbon said they feel that extending the ECQ taking effect from March 30 to April 14 is no longer needed except for those identified as "hot zone" and "ultra risk" areas.

In Negros Occidental, there are at least 53 "hot zones" in 24 local government units (LGUs) recommended to be placed under an extreme quarantine or essentially a lockdown.

"Hot zone" areas are either streets, puroks or barangays where at least one Covid-19 positive patient, one PUI, or at least five PUMs reside.

In Bacolod City, there are five areas considered as "ultra risks" or those with residents who may have been tested positive for Covid-19 and have not yet recovered or may have passed away with symptoms of Covid-19 but without confirmatory results yet.

"A heightened or extreme quarantine should be implemented among hot zone and ultra risk areas, but for the others it should be freed up so the economy can get going again," he said, adding that non-extension of ECQ would enable businesses to start operating, hiring and paying again.

The business leader pointed out that almost 90 percent of the areas in the province are not affected. "'Hot zones' and 'ultra risks' represent only 10 percent of the entire area so why sacrifice the whole thing."

He, however, stressed that freeing up most of the areas starting April 15 should be with precautions and restrictions.

These include continuous implementation of physical or social distancing, mandatory wearing of face masks, no holding of mass gatherings and police visibility among high-density areas like markets and grocery stores to ensure compliance from the public.

The business group is also amenable to continue the enforcement of curfew as well as closure of business establishments by 8 p.m.

Also, the MBCCI sees no problem if the movement of the children, students, and senior citizens will be continued.

Its CEO said the subsidy like food packs and cash grants being given by the local and national governments is good only until the end of April.

"About 80 percent of the populace belong to low-income group so there's a need to free up some of the areas but with restrictions and precautions," Carbon added.

The MBCCI is submitting to the provincial government today, April 6, their "thoughts" on whether, or not, an extension for an ECQ is needed.

The same position will be submitted to the City Government of Bacolod which hosts most of the businesses in the province.

That of the Provincial Government should be coordinated or synchronized with the Bacolod City Government, he stressed.

Tax payment extension

If there's a need to extend, the local business group said that would be the payment of business and real property taxes (RPT).

The MBCCI earlier requested the City Government of Bacolod to extend without penalties and surcharges the business tax payment.

Instead of the April 20 due date, they are asking to extend it to May 31 this year.

For RPT, the group is asking for an extension until May 31 instead of March 31.

The MBCCI already expressed intention to the Provincial Government, through Provincial Incident Management Team Commander Jonathan Lobaton, if it can also urged LGUs outside Bacolod City to cater the same request for business communities in their areas.

Carbon said the six-week extension, from the time establishments are expected to resume operations on April 15, would give them enough cash flow to pay their business and RPT dues.

"We don't have cashflow or sales as almost 90 percent of the businesses are now closed," he said, adding that "we don't want to also burden the local government as we understand that it also needs taxes to pay the employees and support to constituents."