ILOILO – To spur this province’s economy amid the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. has allowed the reopening of business establishments except for those offering entertainment, recreational and wellness services. This province is under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) until the end of the month unless extended.
Yesterday, Defensor issued Executive Order No. 20 “for intensified prevention, detection, isolation, treatment and reintegration under MECQ and implementing a socioeconomic recovery plan in the province.”
Defensor reiterated that there are no major adjustments on the executive order – only specifics of those businesses allowed to operate under MECQ.
“Kon tan-awon mo halos tanan nga essentials magabukas. Ang deperensya amo ang wellness industry nga indi puede kag padayun man naton nga indi pagpasugtan ang recreation activities sa mga resort and other tourist destinations,” Defensor said.
Under the executive order, the following establishments, persons, or activities are allowed to operate, work, or be undertaken at full on-site capacity, subject to certain limitations and community quarantine measures:
*public and private hospitals;
* health, emergency, and frontline services, including those provided by dialysis centers, chemotherapy centers, HMOs, health insurance providers, disaster risk reduction and management officers, public safety officers, and other similar services;
* manufacturers of medicines and vitamins, medical supplies, devices, and equipment, including suppliers of inputs, packaging, and distribution;
* industries involved in agriculture (crops, fruits, vegetables, livestock, and poultry), forestry, fishery, and such other components of the food value chain and their workers, including farmers and fisherfolk;
* logistics service providers (delivery and courier services, cargo handling, warehousing, trucking, freight forwarding, shipping, port and terminal operators);
* essential and priority construction projects, whether public or private, in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH);
* manufacturing related to food and other essential goods, such as but not limited to, soap and detergents, diapers, personal hygiene products, toilet paper, wet wipes and disinfectants;
* companies that manufacture, distribute, and/or supply equipment or products necessary to perform construction or maintenance works, such as cement, steel and spare parts;
* essential retail trade and service establishments such as public markets, supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, pharmacies or drug stores, hardware, office supplies, bicycle shops, laundry shops, and water-refilling stations; Provided that, for municipal public markets, while the same shall be opened on a daily basis, scheduled market days shall be suspended in all LGUs;
* food preparation establishments such as kiosks, commissaries, restaurants, and eateries, but limited to take-out and delivery. Provided that, indoor dine-in services shall be allowed an initial venue or seating capacity of ten percent (10 percent), and outdoor dine-in services (al fresco) shall be allowed at fifty percent (50 percent) venue or seating capacity;
* public and private financial service providers involved in the distribution of government grants and amelioration subsidies;
* business process outsourcing establishments (BPOs), and export-oriented businesses, including mining and quarrying activities;
* public transport providers and operators;
* media establishments and their total permanent staff complement, inclusive of reporters and other field employees;
* dental, rehabilitation, optometry, and other medical clinics for the treatment of illness or injuries;
* veterinary clinics;
* banks, money transfer services, including pawnshops, only insofar as performing money transfer functions, microfinance institutions, and credit cooperatives, including their armored vehicle services;
* water supply and janitorial/sanitation services and facilities, including waste disposal services, as well as, property management and building utility services;
* the energy sector (oil, gas, and power companies), their third-party contractors and service providers, including employees involved in electric transmission and distribution, electric power plant and line
maintenance, electricity market and retail suppliers, as well as those involved in the exploration, operations, trading and delivery of coal, oil, crude or petroleum and by-products;
* telecommunications companies, internet service providers, cable television providers, including those who perform indirect services such as the technical, sales, and other support personnel, as well as the employees of their third-party contractors doing sales, installation, maintenance, and repair works;
* airline and aircraft maintenance, pilots and crew, and employees of aviation schools for purposes of the pilot’s recurrent training for flight proficiency and type rating using simulator facilities, ship captains and crew, including shipyard operations and repair;
* funeral and embalming services;
* printing establishments authorized by the Bureau of Internal Revenue
(BIR) and other government agencies to print accountable forms and other security documents;
* establishments engaged in repair and maintenance of machinery and equipment, for households and essential permitted establishments;
* establishments engaged in repair and maintenance of motorized and non-motorized vehicles, including the sale of spare parts;
* leasing of real and personal properties;
* employment activities that involve the recruitment and placement for permitted sectors;
* teachers, professors and other staff for purposes of conducting online/offline, and flexible classes, completion of grades, and processing of student credentials, requirements and documents;
* lawyers who provide legal representation necessary to protect rights of persons, as well as, legal services for permitted establishments;
* all other establishments, to the extent necessary for the buying and selling of consumer goods or services via the internet;
* all other establishments, to the extent necessary for the buying and selling of consumer goods or services via the internet.
Also allowed to operate are accommodation establishments including hotels, beach resorts, inland resorts, water parks, amusement parks, ecological parks, tourist inns, motels, pension houses, apartment hotels, private homes used for homestay, ecolodges, serviced apartments, condotels, and bed and breakfast establishments; Provided that, such accommodation establishments shall only be allowed to provide board and lodging services to address the COVID-19 public health emergency, and to accommodate:
* Authorized Persons Outside of their Residences (APORs);
* returning or repatriated overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and other overseas Filipinos (OFs) returning to their places of residence; and
* other returning residents.
Further, the operation/use of facilities/venues/ areas for recreation and leisure (such as, swimming pools, cottages, beaches, playgrounds, game rooms, function rooms, dining halls, food stations, bars and dance halls) of such hotels and accommodation establishments is prohibited.
The following establishments, persons, or activities shall not be permitted to operate, work, or be undertaken:
* entertainment venues with live performers such as karaoke bars, bars, clubs, concert halls, theaters, and cinemas;
* recreational venues such as internet cafes, billiard halls, amusement arcades, bowling alleys, and similar venues;
* amusement parks or theme parks, fairs/peryas, kid amusement industries such as playgrounds, playroom, and kiddie rides;
* outdoor sports courts or venues for contact sports, scrimmages, games, or activities
* indoor sports courts or venues, fitness studios, gyms, spas or other indoor leisure centers or facilities and swimming pools;
* casinos, horse racing, cockfighting and operation of cockpits, lottery and betting shops, and other gaming establishments except for the draws conducted by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO);
* indoor visitor or tourist attractions, libraries, archives, museums, galleries, and cultural shows and exhibits;
* outdoor tourist attractions, including recreation activities in public beaches, inland waters and other tourist spots;
* venues for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions;
* personal care services which include medical aesthetic clinics, cosmetic or derma clinics, make-up salons, reflexology, aesthetics, wellness, and holistic centers, and other similar establishments, acupuncture and electrocautery establishments, and massage therapy including sports therapy establishments; establishments providing tanning services, body piercings, tattooing, and similar services.
Home services for these activities are likewise prohibited. Beauty salons, beauty parlors, barbershops, and nail spas shall be allowed to operate at an initial venue or seating capacity of thirty percent (30 percent). They shall only provide services that can accommodate the wearing of facemasks at all times by the patrons/clients and service providers.
Defensor also clarified that the requirement of travel passes at and conduct of border control checkpoints remained effective. He said he would soon issue a separate executive order for these.
Liquor ban is also still in effect.
“Ang liquor ban ara man gihapon. Ang border control ara gihapon,” Defensor said.
As of June 14, the total confirmed COVID-19 cases in the province reached 9,747, of which 2,420 were active.
For the two-week period (May 31 to June 13), the daily average of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the province is 138, with an average daily attack rate (ADAR) of 6.69, and a two-week growth rate of 24.77 percent./PN
