NEGROS Occidental Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Tuesday, August 31, that the Provincial Government backs a proposal being pushed before the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) to give power for local government units (LGUs) to declare their own quarantine classification and enforce their own granular lockdowns.
According to Diaz, he and Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson have long been campaigning for the proposal, pointing out that LGUs have a better idea as to what is happening on the ground compared to the IATF.
"We know best what is happening on the ground, and we also know best our capacity, so why would you make a uniform ruling nga wala sya gasanto sa aton kinaiya or aton nga peculiarity. Kada LGU may lain-lain man nga sitwasyon," Diaz said.
If the province is allowed to control its own quarantine classification, Diaz said the Provincial Government will not be complacent and he believes Lacson will push for the province to remain under a general community quarantine (GCQ), wherein people will be reminded to remain cautious, but economic activities will not be hampered.
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Epimaco Densing said that IATF may move away with the regional or province-wide lockdowns and instead give the power for LGUs to declare their own quarantine classification or enforce their own granular lockdowns.
According to Densing, the proposal was based on a recommendation forwarded by the sub-technical working group, which was led by the Department of Health (DOH).
He added that the National Government will still have the option to declare a wide lockdown, although it will only be applied as a last resort.
The province remains under the GCQ from September 1 to 30.