Duterte announces enhanced community quarantine over Luzon

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In a video recorded earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte announced on the evening of March 16 that Luzon is placed under enhanced community quarantine. The order will be implemented from March 17 midnight until March 12. He was expected to address the nation at 4pm.

The order and the playing of the almost hour-long message came less than four hours upon its effectivity.

Apart from NCR, other regions now included in the order included Ilocos Region, Cordillera, Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog and Bicol. The population of Luzon is 57.47 million in 2015, and comprises around 57% of the whole country’s population of 102 million then. The country currently has an estimated 109 million population.

“Itong other countries, because of the sensitivity of the Filipinos, eh maraming ano kasi, hindi magkaintindihan ang Task Force. They wanted it more acceptable — sa libro lang man. But actually in other contract — in other towns, countries, it’s really a lockdown,” said Duterte.

[In other countries, because of the sensitivity of the Filipinos, there were many, Task Force cannot come to agreement. They wanted it more acceptable – in paper only. But actually in other contract — in other towns, countries, it’s really a lockdown.]

Duterte and Cabinet officials have often interchangeably used the composed ‘community quarantine’ and ‘enhanced community quarantine’ terms with ‘lockdown’ and ‘total lockdown’ respectively. The former still allowed people to go in and out of their homes, subject to the 8pm to 5am curfew implemented by various local government units.

Lockdown in other countries and in instances implemented to curb COVID-19 meant the government provided food, medical care and financial aid for the people for the duration they are restricted to stay at home.

The announcement came after only the second day of the community quarantine in the National Capital Region (NCR) showed that impossibility of social distancing with the many public sector employees exempted from current mass transport system, lack of thermal scanners and other checking equipment at the border that created long queues and worsened waiting time of workers to get to work. March 16 was the first workday and weekday it was implemented.

“Starting yesterday, what has been in effect has been a general quarantine, which allows a substantial freedom of movement within NCR, and even allows the transit of people to and from NCR for purposes of work and other essential services,” said the president.

Duterte announced on March 12 that the National Capital Region will be placed under community quarantine from March 15 to April 14.

Duterte said as of 9am of March 16, the confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Philippines has risen to 140, with a death toll of 12. While the figure is ‘still low’, he said it is a figure that is rising day by day and the whole world has been shaken by the spread of this disease with the epicenter shifted to Europe according to the World Health Organization.

“For this reason, pursuant to my powers as President under the Constitution and Republic Act No. 11332, I am placing the entire mainland of Luzon under [Community] Quarantine until April 12, 2020, coinciding with the entire end of Holy Week,” Duterte said.

Reading a prepared resolution that Senator Christopher ‘Bong’ Go and president’s former top aide tried to make him stick to, Duterte said he needed to read this part: “It will be an enhanced quarantine, during which the movement of everyone will be significantly limited. Work in public and private sectors shall be limited to a work-at-home arrangement. If such an arrangement is not feasible… Kung pwede mong matrabaho ito tingi-tingi sa bahay mo, okay. [If you can work at home, okay.] Pero kung wala na, if they have no choice, you have to stay home.

People staying at home is their contribution to the fight and obeying the laws is a gift to the government, said the president.

“Everyone will stay at their homes, leaving their houses only to buy food, medicine and other basic necessary for survival in the coming days. Only such establishments that provide these basic necessities and services will be open,” he explained.

 

Help workers ‘lawfully not in a position to demand’

Duterte said putting COVID-19 under control has its downsides, including the food and salaries or wages of workers.

“We cannot really control the contagion perfectly. We want it to be perfect. But there will be the downsides. Food ‘yung isa. ‘Yung isa naman ‘yung sweldo ninyo. Kaya ako nakikiusap sa malalaking negosyo, magtulong na lang kayo,” said Duterte.

[We cannot really control the contagion perfectly. We want it to be perfect. But there will be the downsides. One is food. Another is your wages. That’s why I am pleading with big businesses to help out.]

Duterte addressed his ‘rift’ with some big companies in the country, saying they can help their workers ‘who are not working now and lawfully are not really in a position to demand.’

“Mukhang (It looks like)— it leaves a bad taste in the mouth but ‘d like to mention the big companies ’yung maalaala ko lang (those I can remember). We have had our… I know that meron tayong (we have) undercurrent but that is not a personal one for you and for me, but it’s one for the people. It was an issue of people’s interest. But I‘d like to address ‘yung mga mayayaman (the rich ones) like, for example, well, ikaw (you) Pangilinan and the Ayalas and sila Coson sa itong mga (these) big companies, Robinsons, you might be able really to alleviate the situation by just understanding also the plight of the workers who are not working now and lawfully are not really in a position to demand,” said Duterte.

Whether Duterte meant contractual workers, those ‘no work, no pay’, job outsourcing posts even in government or the lack of benefits such as paid full wages during such declaration of lockdown have yet to be clarified, possibly in a set of guidelines from the Department of Labor and Employment.

The president has been vocal in his criticism against businessmen Manny Pangilinan and the Ayala family who holds the contracts to the private water concessionaires in Metro Manila and has even declared to cancel the contracts of the companies, do a government takeover and send the businessmen to jail, asking them to refund customers and renegotiate the water distribution contracts .

“In the meantime, I have directed the DSWD, DOLE, DOF and other agencies to put in place, with utmost dispatch and all feasible measures that will ease the burden of the Community Quarantine in our country, especially those who are living on daily wages, and small – medium enterprises. We shall make sure that, during [these] trying times, all of you will feel government’s concern in your — for your welfare,” said the president.

 

Government suggestions to private sector

Duterte read some suggestions to the private sector so they can help ease the burden of the people at this time:

  1. Release of 13th month pay, even only if pro-rated while people are on quarantine
  2. Moratorium on rental fees for renters and tenants
  3. One month reprieve on bills payments for Basic Utility Providers

On the moratorium on rental fees, Duterte said that he or meaning the government will pay the fees of those who can’t pay.

“Wala na nga, nakakulong na nga, wala na nakain, so mag isip pa sila. Ngayon, kung ayaw mo, huwag mong pilitin na magbayad. Patirahin mo muna diyan sa lugar niya, ako ang magbayad. Ganun din. I swear to you upon my oath of office, I will pay kung hindi sila makabayad,” said Duterte.

[They have none, they are restricted, they have no food and they have to worry. Now, if they don’t want, don’t force them to pay. Let them stay, I will pay. It’s the same. I swear to you upon my oath of office, I will pay if they can’t pay.]

But the president said these are only suggestions.

“Hindi ko sinasabi batas ito. Hindi ko sinasabi na regulasyon ito. But sinasabi ko, kung ikaw ay Pilipino nagmahal ng kapwa mo tao, baka you know, you can mitigate the hardship,” Duterte said.

[I am not saying this is law. I am not saying this is regulation. But I am telling you, if you are Filipino, if you love your countryment, maybe you know, you can mitigate the hardship.]

After telling the people to not fear the police and military and that this is not martial law, he seemed to cut short reading his prepared speech. The message lasted around 55 minutes.

 

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