ILOILO City – Mayor Jerry Treñas has suspended temporarily cock derbies “until we have issued an executive order solely for this.”
He made the move following a pronouncement from Secretary Carlito Galvez, chief implementer of the national action plan on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic – that physical distancing was difficult to observe in cockpits under a modified general community quarantine (MGCQ).
This city transitioned to MGCQ on June 1. Treñas initially included cockpits as among the establishments that may reopen.
Galvez cited as example Davao Region. It was believed that the spread of COVID-19 cases there was due to cock derbies.
“Siguro po mga July pag-new normal na tayo, pwede na,” according to Galvez.
In Treñas’ Executive Order No. 086 imposing MGCQ over Iloilo City, a provision identified establishments that may operate but at a maximum operational capacity of 50 percent only and with a similar percentage in maximum venue capacity. These were the following:
* personal care services (massage parlors, saunas, facial care, foot spa, waxing salons and the like)
* gyms / fitness studios, sports facilities
* libraries / archives, museums and other cultural activities
* travel agencies / tour operators
* resorts, parks, beaches and other leisure / tourism establishments
* amusement centers (cinemas, computers and online gaming shops, all-night clubs, pubs, casinos, cockpits and the like
* other leisure and amusement establishments that promote mass gatherings
Other business and industries allowed to reopen were the following:
* barbershops (maximum venue capacity of 50 percent; then up to 100 percent after three weeks from June 1 but with strict compliance to minimum health standards and safety measures)
* dine-in service for food retail establishments
* supermarkets, grocery stores and food preparation establishments (to operate for a maximum period of 12 hours, and capacity to hold people not exceeding 50)
* hotels and other accommodation establishments
All workplaces are encouraged to practice alternative work arrangements for employees who more than 60 years old, those with comorbidities and immunodeficiencies, and pregnant women in accordance with the issuances of the Department of Labor and Employment and Civil Service Commission, according to Treñas./PN
