BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – Should this city shift to the stricter modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) until the end of July, businesses in Negros Occidental may face difficulties, according to Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz.
“This is going to give us a lot of setbacks economically in terms of delivering basic services,” Diaz pointed out.
The National Inter-Agency Task Force (NIATF) recommended placing the city under MECQ from the present general community quarantine (GCQ).
Bacolod City’s Mayor Evelio Leonardia, meanwhile, has already appealed to the NIATF pointing out that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the city are dropping.
The provincial administrator is hoping that the NIATF will agree to the request of the city government.
“For the good of the province, it is far more advantageous that the quarantine status for Bacolod remains under GCQ,” Diaz said.
He further added if Bacolod City would be placed under MECQ, the Provincial Capitol (located in Bacolod) may have to adopt regulations such as operating under skeletal work force.
The provincial capitol has been observing a four-day work week since the number of COVID-19 cases in Negros Occidental spiked earlier this year.
“So far the provincial government is doing well under a four-day work week scheme, but if we are forced to operate under a skeletal workforce then a lot of transactions will surely be affected,” Diaz noted.
As to Negros Occidental, the NIATF recommended retaining its GCQ status for the remainder of the month.
According to Diaz, they trust that the NIATF’s decision was “science based” and they therefore have no other option but to comply.
“Lacson already placed the province under GCQ, so there are no changes with our current executive order as of this time,” Diaz said./PN
