The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) called on the Metro Manila Mayors to adopt uniform curfew hours across the 16 cities and one municipality of the region.
DILG Undersecretary and Spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said that adopting uniform curfew hours would make it easier for the public to comply because people tend to live and work in different local government units (LGUs).
“Mahirap po sa ating mga kababayan kung paiba-iba ang curfew hours dahil malilito po sila sa pagsunod nito. It would also be easier for the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) to implement the curfew if the hours are uniform across Metro Manila,” he said.
DILG OIC Bernardo Florece Jr. earlier directed all LGUs and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to implement a crackdown on quarantine violators, impose a curfew, and intensify the enforcement of minimum public health standards in all barangays as new COVID-19 cases have reached more than 3,000 cases a day for three days now.
Malaya said that, at present, different LGUs in Metro Manila impose different curfew hours. It is 10 PM-4 AM in Muntinlupa and Caloocan; 10 PM- 5 AM in Malabon, Navotas, Quezon City, and Marikina; and 12 MN – 3 AM in Pateros and San Juan. It is 12 MN – 4AM in Valenzuela, Pasay, Parañaque, Taguig, Las Piñas, Makati City, Mandaluyong City; and 12 MN-5 AM in Manila and Pasig.
He said that the DILG will leave it to the Mayors on what hours to impose but suggested that the curfew should start at 10:00 PM. “Violators should be fined or otherwise penalized for violating all health protocols especially the curfew,” he added.
Malaya said wearing of face masks and face shields and physical distancing should be strictly imposed in all LGUs and violators should be fined based on the prevailing ordinances. He said temperature checks and filling out contact tracing forms manually or thru the StaySafe.PH app should also be a must in all establishments and workplaces.
The DILG also ordered the deployment of additional contact tracers in areas with rising cases to aid the local contact tracing teams in identifying close contacts and having them tested.
He said that the LGUs can reverse the rising trend of coronavirus cases by ensuring no lag time from symptom onset, testing, contact tracing, and isolation and in strictly implementing the 10-day isolation and 14-day quarantine for those positive and with symptoms.
“LGUs should also see to it that there is good ventilation in workspaces and other settings to prevent the transmission of the virus,” he said.
He said that LGUs can implement localized lockdown within a sitio, street, or block without the need to request approval from the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases .