MORE business types are now allowed to operate in Davao City, which is currently placed under extended enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), after the city government adopted the national government’s Omnibus Guidelines on the Implementation of Community Quarantine issued by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).
Those allowed to operate again are laundry shops; private establishments involved in the provision of essential goods and services, and activities in the value chain related to food and medicine production; and clothing, accessories, hardware, housewares, school, and office supplies but for delivery only.
This comes after Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio on Monday, May 4, issued Executive Order (EO) 28-A “An Order Providing for the Extension of the Enhanced Community Quarantine and other Activities Thereafter” adopting the provisions for ECQ in the Omnibus Guidelines of the IATF-EID.
Laundry shops were previously disallowed in Davao City since the implementation of ECQ in the city on April 4.
Under EO 23-A, which was previously issued on April 2, all non-essential private establishments and offices are still closed, except for the following: groceries; supermarkets; wet markets or palengkes; food commissaries; food manufacturing; food delivery services; wholesale stores; convenience stores; sari-sari stores; hospitals; gas stations; business process outsourcing or call center agents; medical laboratories; pharmacies; drugstores; banks; saving and credit cooperatives; money-transfer services; other delivery services; construction hardware; doctor’s and dentist’s clinics; water refilling stations; LPG stations; and media outlets. However, if possible, they must have a skeleton workforce arrangement and must follow physical distancing between employees.
Meanwhile, no hotels are still allowed to operate under ECQ, except those accommodating: guests who have existing booking accommodations for foreigners as of May 1; guests who have existing long-term bookings; distressed Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and stranded Filipino or foreign nationals; repatriated OFWs in compliance with approved protocols; non-OFWs who may be required to undergo mandatory facility-based quarantine and; healthcare workers and other employees from exempted establishments under the Omnibus Guidelines and applicable Memoranda from the Executive Secretary provided that hotel operations shall be limited to the provision of basic lodging guests.
Duterte-Carpio already said that all city EOs related to the ECQ will be based on the IATF guidelines.
“If there is a conflict between the executive ordinance diria sa Davao (City), and the IATF guidelines, ang masunod is ang IATF guidelines (If there is a conflict between the executive ordinance here in Davao City and the IAFT guidelines, the IATF will be followed),” the mayor said in a radio interview on 87.5 FM Davao City Disaster Radio.
Meanwhile, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) issued Memorandum Circular No. 20-22 on Tuesday, May 5, a guideline on the identified companies that are allowed to operate during ECQ and general community quarantine (GCQ).
DTI-Davao City Director Rachel Remitio said the memorandum is in compliance with the IATF omnibus guidelines on community quarantine.
“Naa’y need to align the provision nga ginaimplement sa Davao City ug kadtong mando sa Inter-Agency Task Force (There is a need to align the provisions implemented in Davao City and the Inter-Agency Task Force guidelines),” Remitio said.
Category 1 (Full Operational Capacity during ECQ and GCQ) lists industries that are in full operational capacity during ECQ and GCQ. It includes agriculture, forestry, fisheries, manufacturing, hospitals, logistics services, power, energy, water, waste collection, sewerage, and telecommunications sectors.
Also, part of Category 1 are retail establishments but limited to groceries, supermarkets, public markets, and drug stores.
Delivery services, laundry shops, gasoline stations, construction workers, and media companies are also permitted to operate both in ECQ and GCQ.
Other categories that were classified are the following: Category 2 - 50 percent up to full operational capacity; Category 3 - 50 percent work on-site, work from home, and other alternative working arrangements; and Category 4 - not allowed to operate.
Full details are posted on the DTI website. (With CIO report)