QUIRINO Gov. Dakila Cua yesterday said local government units (LGUs) are ready to adopt the alert level system with granular lockdown scheme currently being pilot-tested in the National Capital Region (NCR) to slow down the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
But Cua, who is the president of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP), said the national government should brief the LGUs about the fundamentals of the strategy to ensure its successful implementation in a nationwide scale.
NCR is under Alert Level 4, which allows for the operation of more establishments, from September 16 to 30. The alert level system is being done hand in hand with the granular lock down of areas where there are known COVID-19 cases.
Officials have earlier said that the new quarantine system will be implemented nationwide if it is experimental run in Metro Manila is successful.
“If that’s going to be implemented by the national government, I think all LGUs will support it. Our only appeal really is to educate us as early as possible, teach us already,” said Cua, adding that local executives should be briefed on the difference between the alert level system that is being implemented in the NCR and the current community quarantine type of combatting COVID-19 in areas outside Metro Manila.
Cua said LGUs outside the capital region, specifically the health experts, policemen, and other frontliners are already adept on the implementation of the community quarantine system.
“If we are going change the system now, analyze and explain to us in the LGUs nationwide what’s the difference so we can adopt it immediately and we won’t have difficulty discovering the difference,” he said.
Meanwhile, PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar yesterday reminded Metro Manila policemen about the need to strictly implement health protocols following reports that Manila City residents, including senior citizens, flocked to an aid distribution activity at the Delpan sports complex on Monday.
The Manila City council has passed an ordinance in 2019 granting a P500 monthly monetary allowance to senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and solo parents who are city residents.
