THE SITUATION. Those who expected (a) easier entry to Cebu province and (b) freer movement from a town or city to another town or city within the province will be disappointed. Under the province's risk-downgraded category of GCQ or general community quarantine, the borders are still closed generally, with exceptions for essential workers and other employees of specific businesses or activities that are permitted to resume.
Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia's Executive Order #17 was to take effect Wednesday, May 20, or five days after the ECQ or enhanced community quarantine status of Cebu Province and Lapu-Lapu City expired and gave way to GCQ or general community quarantine.
An increase in the flow of border commuters is predicted, as some businesses and activities are reopening under GCW. Workers residing outside the town or city where they are employed will add to the number. Traffic of people will be markedly higher through corridors of the tri-cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu-Lapu -- plus Talisay City (MECQ), with its business establishments.
Returnees from abroad and other areas in the country where they were stranded will also boost the number of province border crossers.
Note the mix of quarantine categories for the travel through Cebu's trade and business centers: Talisay City (modified enhanced), Cebu City (enhanced), Mandaue City (enhanced) and Lapu-Lapu City (general).
Problems recognized
Atty. Frank Dinsay, the governor's chief-of-staff, in a phone interview with SunStar Wednesday, May 20, acknowledged these problems regarding border crossing rules:
[1] Non-uniformity of the rule or its enforcement among some local governments, more patently in the Metro Cebu area but also occasionally in towns and cities within the province;
[2] The practice of some LGU checkpoints within the province to reject travel passes issued by other local governments, thus causing inconvenience and loss of time.
Dinsay said province checkpoints as a rule do not honor passes issued by Cebu City. He didn't mention other LGUs, which could be because it is Cebu City that Capitol has been trying to shield the province from, the city being still "the epicenter" of Covid-19 in Cebu.
To avoid disruption in crossing borders, an individual may obtain a pass to move within Cebu City and another pass, the province pass, to enter or leave the province territory. Plus the other documents that each LGU may require.
As to the occasional disagreement among the mayors over border passes, Dinsay said Governor Garcia's meetings with the local chief executives (one last Friday, May 15 and another on Wednesday, May 20) took up that problem.
Basic prohibitions
A general prohibition leads off, something like a big "NO ENTRY" sign at the province borders. Then there is the other prohibition, laid down in the governor's EO, for those living inside Cebu province: "no movement for leisure within the province."
There are, however, 30 exceptions listed in Section 7 of the governor's order that grant free ingress and egress for specified travelers.
Some of those include personnel of numerous offices and agencies, such as subsection 8.9, which covers assorted units of the National Government that operate in Cebu. And number 30 is the convenience hatch through which people and businesses not included in the general list but approved by Capitol will get through.
Add to that bulk of potential travelers the bunch of "returnees" comprising of (a) overseas workers and (b) other "constituents" temporarily sheltered elsewhere and would now like to return to their home town or city.
Slashing the number
The aim is to cut down the number of commuters out there. Thus the stringent requirements, propped up by the underlying policy of "we'd rather have you stay home," including:
[1] "Negative" results in Covid-19 tests, DOH certification of accomplished isolation or quarantine, acceptance of the LGU taking in the returnee;
[2] Additional documents, aside from the standard identification card, such as certification of employer on work assignment or shift, authority to travel, and the like to prove necessity of the movement outside the home or office.
Balancing
Enforcing restrictions that prevent travel is tough enough. What makes the burden heavier is the need to balance the cautionary tale of shuttering down against the imperative to reopen business and help restore the economy.
Quarantine categories are up for review by the IATF before the May 31 expiry date.
The public officials who've been lashing the whip to scare people into their safety zones may soon be waving inducements for people to come out and do some work and face life, or what's left of it, again.