Provincial Government of Palawan welcomes the lifting of general community quarantine or GCQ on May 16, after the announcement of Malacañang, Tuesday morning.
During “Pakimanan Ta Si Gob”, an online weekly briefer of Governor Jose Ch. Alvarez, he said that the lifting of GCQ is a good news for Palaweños because we can now start to reopen our economy and the people can go back to work.
But the Governor added that the provincial government is still waiting for the specific guidelines coming from the national government.
And as part of preparations, Alvarez said that he invited Mayor Lucilo Bayron to sit down and discuss the matter.
“We have to synchronize our moves kasi hindi pwede na kami sa probinsya, iba ang gagawin namin at iba din ang sa city. Maswerte tayo na we’re able to stop whatever is happening in the other cities and provinces. This is by immediate reaction na i-stop muna natin ang flights,” Alvarez said during his virtual press briefing.
Gov. Alvarez added that minimum health protocols set by the Inter-Agency Task Force has to be strictly implemented in the province even the community quarantine is lifted starting May 16.
“I am also hoping na by June, babalik na ang lahat sa normal but ang new normal, with minimum standards,” he added.
With his forthcoming meeting with the city mayor, Alvarez will suggest to relax the economy as part of preventive measures in fight against COVID-19.
“I suggest that somehow, we have to relax our economy. Remember, we are an island economy. We have to be self-sufficient in some way because we cannot always depend on imperial Manila,” Alvarez said.
And even the community quarantine is lifted, the governor made sure that the assistance to Palaweños will continue.
“Hindi tayo magpapabaya at ang focus natin ay ang Mr. COVID ay wag papasukin. ‘Yung ayuda ay walang tigil ‘yan, maswerte tayo na nakalikom tayo ng maraming pera, ang Palawan,” said the Governor.
REPATRIATION EFFORTS ON STRANDED PALAWEÑOS
As of the latest, COVID-19: Sagip Palaweño program of the provincial government received a total of 3,972 calls from stranded Palaweños all over the country, asking help to go home.
Governor Alvarez said that the processing for the repatriation is still ongoing where the priority on the list are those students studying outside Palawan.
He added that the provincial government even sent financial assistance to more than 200 stranded students for their daily needs.
“We have the money, and it’s just for the provincial board to give me the authority to contract with them. My argument to our legislative body is that we cannot afford to let our kababayan na taga-Palawan na ma-stranded doon at dapat makauwi sila dito,” Alvarez said during the online briefer.
When asked about who will shoulder the cost of repatriation, the Governor made it clear that for the students who were stranded outside Palawan will be free if all the information and details submitted to them were correct and duly checked and verified.
“Free ‘yung mga taga-Palawan na nag-aaral lang doon, very reasonable ‘yun na tutulungan natin.,” he added.
Alvarez also said that upon arrival, repatriated Palaweños will be sent directly to their municipalities for another set of quarantine to ensure the safety of everybody.
“Provided na naka-rapid test sila before the flight at mayroon silang medical certificate na sila ay walang COVID at nag-quarantine na sila sa kanilang lugar. Pagdating naman dito, sa van palang naka social distancing din, ‘yun ang protocol natin. Ayaw natin sila gumagala pa dito sa city kaya pagdating sa munisipyo, bahala na ang local authorities doon na i-quarantine na sila uli sa bahay,” said the Governor.
FOCUS TO RECOVER FROM THE CRISIS
Agriculture will be the main focus of the provincial government in order to cope with the situation and to immediately recover after the crisis.
Alvarez said that his top priority now is public welfare and cancelling all mass gatherings even though the community quarantine is lifted and use the money instead to boost and help other sectors needed and permitted under the new normal.
“We have to prime the agricultural sector including the existing industries tulad ng fishing at mining. And although new normal na pinayagan na natin ang construction, private and public construction, tuloy na po ‘yan basta naka face mask, naka ready in accordance sa DPWH standards, may social distancing,” said Alvarez.
But for the tourism industry, Alvarez said that in the next 24 months, the tourist enterprises has to brace themselves in order to survive.
“Kung makaka-survive sila sa sunod na 24 months, they will be better off. Marami itong re-structuring na mangyayari and there will be new changes in the tourism industry. Although we will promote the local torusim industry, hindi parin sapat ‘yun for Palawan tourism industry to get back in old times of having two million tourist kasi kalahati lang ang ginagastos ng local tourist natin,” he explained.
“If we have a highly agricultural dependent island economy, magandang pondasyon ‘yun para ‘yung tourism nanaman natin, babalik dahan-dahan,” the Governor added.
ON BALIK-PROBINSYA PROGRAM OF THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT AND THE DIVISION OF PALAWAN
Governor Jose Ch. Alvarez also welcomes the “Balik-Probinsya” program of national government stating that this is very timely.
He also made sure that the province is ready citing the land area to population ratio of Palawan and this program will be very beneficial for us.
“Ako personally, nakita ko na ‘yan sa ibang bansa. Its high time itong suggestion ni Senador Bong Go pero sana gawin itong batas. In fact, we can accommodate maski hindi taga-Palawan basta mayroon silang skill,” Alvarez explained.
The head of the province explained that there is a need for local migrants in Palawan for our tourism sector and to accommodate even more tourists.
“Yes, I will welcome that because this is the only time na mapalago natin ang Palawan at kung mayroon tayong tatlong milyong tao. Basta skilled for the betterment of Palawan at ‘wag ang mga basagulero, kriminal at may sakit” the head of the province added.
Alvarez also added that this program is also timely on the moves to divide Palawan into three separate provinces.
“Very time [plebiscite] dahil ang IRA ngayon ng probinsya is approaching P3 billion and in 2022, magiging P6 billion ‘yan. Ang akala lang kasi ng mga nagrereklamo, ‘yung P2.4 billion ay idi-divide ng tatlo, mali naman ang akala nila,” he said.
He reiterated that the proposed division of Palawan if for the good of the general public and its welfare.
“I am doing what I want to do for the good of Palawan and for the good of the general public. Lahat ng Palaweño dapat benefited,” explained Alvarez.
COVID TESTING CENTER IN PALAWAN
The Governor announced that a team from Regional Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) and Department of Health will be coming from Manila to facilitate the re-inspection of Ospital ng Palawan to be a testing center.
This will help the province to ensure the safety of its people from the deadly virus.
“We will see to it na maganda naman ang pag-inspeksyon ng RITM at DOH dito sa ating Ospital ng Palawan para magkaroon na kaagad tayo ng isang working test center kasi marami tayong rapid test centers but still we need to confirm like what happened in Tanabag,” said Alvarez.