MANILA – Majority of Metro Manila mayors voted to shift the National Capital Region to modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) starting March.
Metro Manila Development Authority chairman Benhur Abalos said nine mayors voted for the MGCQ shift, while eight others wanted to remain the general community quarantine (GCQ) status for at least a month.
“MGCQ ang nanalo sa botohan ng mga Metro Manila mayors,” Abalos told Balitaang sa CNN Philippines on Thursday.
Acting National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) chief Karl Chua previously recommended the nationwide MGCQ for economic recovery.
Part of NEDA’s proposal is to allow 75 percent seating capacity in public transportation; persons five to 70 years old are allowed to go out of their homes but not necessarily allowing their entrance to malls; and resumption of pilot face-to-face classes in low-risk areas.
NEDA’s recommendations have earned negative reaction to the OCTA research group, saying it will be dangerous since coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases are increasing in some parts of the country.
The OCTA research also warned that if Metro Manila will shift to MGCQ, cases of COVID-19 will surge up to 2,400 new cases per day by March 26, which is similar to the daily tally when the region was placed under modified enhance community quarantine in August last year.
The Malacañang, meanwhile, welcomed the decision of NCR mayors but said President Rodrigo Duterte will have the final say to that matter./PN
