As an adaptation of the recent order of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte in putting the whole Luzon under the Enhanced Community Quarantine, the Provincial Government of Palawan (PGP) likewise implemented several measures to stop the spread of the Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19).
Yesterday, Gov. Jose Chaves Alvarez signed three executive orders in order to beef-up the fight against the pandemic disease.
Executive Order No. 48, s. 2020, enforced a strict prohibition starting 12 midnight of March 19 on “inter-municipality travel” in the whole province of Palawan, to be led by the Provincial Police Office (PPO).
The exemption and being allowed to traverse are: *Land, air and sea travel of uniformed personnel for official business, especially those transporting medical supplies, laboratory specimens related to the COVID-19, and other humanitarian assistance.
*The movement of cargoes within, to and from the entire Province of Palawan shall be unhampered but accompanying crew or personnel of transiting cargoes shall be subject to the guidelines as may be formulated and issued by the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
*Media personnel shall be allowed to travel within the quarantine area, provided that the media personnel intending to travel within the quarantined area, provided that the media personnel intending to travel within the quarantine area shall secure an identification card from the Presidential Communications Operations office (PCOO).
*Transit to and from Business Processing Outsourcing establishments and export-oriented industries anywhere within the area covered by the Enhanced Community Quarantine shall be allowed. Security personnel of the same establishments shall likewise be allowed to travel within the quarantine area.
*Emergency personnel, medical staff, and government frontliners and officers such as staff of PDRRMO, Tourism Office and Peace and Order Program (POP).
“Personnel from Philippine National Police (PP) shall exercise necessary police action to implement this order including the apprehension, restraint and arrest of resisting or disobeying individuals who are in violation of Article 151 of Revised Penal Code of the Philippines,” the order reads. In Executive Order 46, s. 2020, the chief executive orders the employees of the Provincial Government to implement the “work from home arrangement” in light of the ECQ over the entire Luzon from March 17 to April 13, 2020 and amended the previous EO 40, s. 2020 and the EO 47, s. 2020. Exempted of this order are the employees whose jobs are concerned with health and emergency frontline services, border control and other critical services. Skeletal workforce is hereby advised on rotation bases from Monday to Friday that may be subsist until April 13 or until such time the enhanced community quarantine has been lifted.
While the last executive order is the EO 47, s. 2020, an order adopting the Memorandum from the Executive Secretary last March 16 to implement the ECQ over the entire Luzon and further guidelines for the management of COVID-19 situation in the province.
Apart from the orders, the LGU also approved the utilization of P59.8 million funds from accumulated local disaster risk reduction and management fund of the PDRRMC.
The province also created the full Emergency Operation Centers (EOC) located at VJR Hall in Capitol Complex, of which, all heads and members of the response cluster should report to them for synchronized coordination. The EOC is also empowered to coordinate with the national agencies, especially with the City Government of Puerto Princesa for “joint effort” in addressing COVID-19 threat.
Also, three (3) Incident Management Teams (IMT) have been created by the LGU, located in the municipalities of Brooke’s Point in the south and in Roxas and Taytay in the north. These IMT’s will be in charged in responding through the resources given to them by the EOC and in identifying the needs of the people in their areas of responsibility for coordination and provision.
The Provincial Board of Palawan passed and approved also a resolution that aims to reprieve the payment of electricity and water bills and the due date in all municipalities of Palawan that will last until the ECQ will be lifted.
PGP is likewise planning to give rice and goods to the most affected sector and to provide vitamins D and C to the senior citizens. The Government is also assured the public that there is enough supply of rice in the province.
Early release of the 13th month pay is hereby processed by the LGU Palawan.
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan approved also a resolution that enjoins municipal government to enact their own ordinance that will prohibit hoarding and panic buying amidst the COVID-19.
Also, the ambulance and personnel of the Palawan Rescue 165 are tasked to fetch a PUI from a certain municipality to be admitted in a DOH hospital; in other emergencies, the MDRRMO’s are tasked to address them.
The municipalities are currently implementing thermal checkpoints in order to scan people who are going in and out from their town.