THE presidential executive order extending the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) until May 15 in nine areas only supersedes any existing form of community quarantine imposed by a local government unit.
Based on Executive Order 112, which President Rodrigo Duterte issued on April 30, the nine areas under ECQ from 12:01 a.m. of May 1 to 11:59 p.m. of May 15 are as follows:
* National Capital Region (Metro Manila)
* Central Luzon region, excluding Aurora
* Calabarzon or Region 4-A
* Pangasinan
* Benguet
* Iloilo province
* Cebu province
* Davao City
* Bacolod City
All other regions, provinces, cities or towns should have shifted to general community quarantine on Friday, May 1.
"Any existing community quarantine imposed by an LGU, regardless of nomenclature, shall cease to take effect on 12:01 a.m. of 01 May 2020, and shall be superseded by the ECQ or GCQ herein set forth," the executive order states.
Bacolod City, the capital of Negros Occidental, was not on the original list of ECQ areas, but its local government unit requested the IATF that the city be included.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque had also stressed that Iloilo City, whose officials earlier favored a shift to GCQ, is included among the ECQ areas until May 15.
Beginning May 16, 2020, EO 112 mandates that "all decisions to impose, lift or extend a community quarantine" in provinces, highly urbanized cities and independent component cities shall rest with the IATF.
Governors may impose, lift or extend ECQ in municipalities and component cities only upon the concurrence of the regional counterpart body of the IATF.
Likewise, mayors may impose, lift or extend ECQ in barangays only upon the concurrence of the IATF regional counterpart body.
The IATF may still directly impose, lift or extend ECQ in any area should circumstances call for it.
"No LGU shall declare its own community quarantine, regardless of nomenclature, without observing the foregoing procedure," the order added.
Under an ECQ, public transportation systems are suspended, domestic air and sea travel are suspended, mass gatherings are prohibited and majority of the residents are mandated to stay at home.
Only essential personnel and those on a supply run are allowed to move about the town or city.
The strict quarantine protocols are being enforced as a measure to slow the spread of the highly infectious novel coronavirus, or Sars-CoV-2, which causes the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). (MVI/SunStar Philippines)