In a statement released on Saturday,
THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) denied that Metro Manila mayors agreed to extend the strictest Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in the National Capital Region (NCR) until August 30.
“The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority denies a news report quoting Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez that all metro mayors have agreed to extend the enhanced community quarantine until August 30,” the MMDA said in a statement.
MMDA chief Benhur Abalos said that in a conversation with Olivarez, the city mayor refuted the report and claimed that there had been no such meeting held among Metro Manila mayors.
Without dropping the news company, Abalos referred to an article published by the Manila Bulletin, which states that the NCR mayors have decided to impose enhanced community quarantine until the end of the month.
The publication has taken down its news story on its website even before the MMDA chairman’s clarification was made.
According to the MMDA, whose governing board and policy-making body is the Metro Manila Council (MMC), NCR mayors’ top priority are its assessment on positive cases, vaccination program, and cash distribution for the affected families.
Amid the woes of the more contagious Delta variant of the COVID-19 disease, however, the MMDA said that recommendations to either extend or shorten the lockdown period is still being considered, but should be in accordance with the advice of health and economic experts and based on the provided data and capabilities of local government units (LGUs).
In a separate interview, Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary and spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire said that monitoring of cases still exists and agreement is yet to be made within the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) due to insufficient basis to determine the NCR’s quarantine classification.
“Walang batayan ‘yan sa ngayon kasi aantayin pa natin ang sariwang datos para gumabay sa IATF kung magdedesisyon na ito ba ay ide-deescalate o ie-extend. Wala pa tayo sa ganoong panahon,” Vergeire stated.
The DOH Undersecretary further emphasized that quarantine classifications, be it the most stringent or not, is not the only way to prevent the rise of positive cases and completely stop the transmission.
“It has to be that we look at all the components of the response, and important po ang response ng local government. Kaya po kami ay nag-iisa-isa ng regional local government officials to guide them,” Vergeire added.
Metro Manila was placed under ECQ since August 6 to restrain variants which worsen the situations across all 16 cities and the sole municipality in the NCR.