Workers were only given 48 hours to go home to their respective towns. This is part of the reinstatement of the strict border controls between Cebu City and Cebu Province.
According to Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, reinstating a much stricter border control would help in Cebu’s campaign to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
As the cases of COVID-19 in Cebu continue to rise, the implementation of the entry restrictions between borders will be re-implemented on Friday, June 26.
All residents of the Cebu Province who are currently in Cebu City, and vice-versa, are given 48hours to go back to their respective hometowns.
“This is serving notice to all mayors that we will go back to the restrictions on the entry of people coming in from Cebu City to the Province. We will go back to EO (Executive Order) 17 Section 8 which requires additional restrictions to our borders,” the governor announced on Tuesday, June 23.
Border control
Under EO 17, Sec. 8, stricter border controls will be implemented in the four borders of the Province:
- Talisay City in the South
- Mandaue City and Consolacion in the North
- Balamban town in the West
Bulacao-Talisay City border will be closed on Friday, June 26 at 12:01 a.m. The Cebu South Coastal Road (CSCR) in Talisay City will be the single access going in and out of Cebu City.
Border controls with 24/7 checkpoints will also be set up on the access road.
“We will give you the next 48 hours, after that you have to choose, ari raka Cebu City or you have to go back to your LGUs. Di na pwede COE (Certificate of Employment) or ID (identification card),”
The re-implementation of stricter border controls, the governor said, is only meant to protect the Province.
“Like it or not, pagsugod nato pag-ease up, nag-increase pud ang cases. It is not alarming but we have to admit na nag-increase,” Garcia said.
During Gov. Garcia’s meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management on the Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF-MEID) officials and other Cebu local officials, Garcia offered to reinstitute the EO.
“Pagsugod gyud they (IATF) were admiring nga strikto mi so ibalik ni nato. So effective Friday, we will have to revert to strict border controls,” Garcia said.
However, she explained that the areas with the same quarantine status, given that these people were allowed to travel, can still cross the borders. But, they would need to secure the Provincial Pass from the Capitol, again.
For instance, a worker who is in Mandaue City can go home to Santander because these areas are both on General Community Quarantine zones.
On the other hand, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año instructed that the movement of LSI coming from or going to Cebu City which is under Enhanced Community Quarantine, will not be allowed temporarily.
DILG 7 Director Leocadio Trovela signed the advisory on June 19, 2020.
“Ganina dinhi ang lima ka Cabinet secretaries gi-appoint si (DENR Secretary Roy) Cimatu to oversee the Covid-19 efforts sa Cebu. Sa among meeting akong gi point out nga in fact ang sitwasyon sa province lahi sa Cebu City kay kung positive cases atong istoryahan compared to the total population mubo gyud kaayo ang sa Province,” Garcia said.
Those in attendance during the meeting were:
- IATF-EID Chief Implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr.
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy Cimatu
- Department of Health Secretary Francisco Duque
- Department of National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana
- Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año
- Regional directors of government line agencies and the Philippine National Police
