Año says employees living outside Metro Manila need to show ID to work in metropolis
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said employees who are living outside Metro Manila but working inside the metropolis will just need to present an identification card to be allowed entry after President Rodrigo Duterte imposed community quarantine which bans entry and exit in the National Capital Region (NCR).
In a radio interview late Thursday night, Año said they will place strategic checkpoints in all boundaries in Metro Manila and neighboring provinces.
“I would just like to make it clear to those working, included in the order is to allow them to enter provided they have ID that will prove that they are working in (Metro) Manila,” he said.
“We would like to copy China on total lockdown but of course we also have to consider our Filipino employees but if they can work at home and with the advent of technology, we encourage them to work from home for now and also to have flexible schedule on the private sector to lessen the number of travelling,” he added.
He said those who are working but not living in Metro Manila or “Population of Manila by Day” were one of the things they considered so that there will be no “absolute restriction”.
Even those who have businesses in Manila but living outside can be exempted in the travel ban.
“They just need additional precautionary measures like masks and hand sanitizers,” he said.
He said public transportation will also be allowed to enter Metro Manila based on the guidelines that the Department of Transportation will provide to the transportation sector.
Año said the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police will organize the personnel they will use on the checkpoints in and out of Metro Manila.
“We have enough forces and this is not lock down or total lock down. We are just restricting movement especially coming in and going out of Metro Manila because we don’t want the virus to spread outside Manila... it will be difficult if it will spread in the provinces and regions. So now that it is still in Metro Manila, it’s better if we can confine it here (Metro Manila) and we can focus our efforts and resources,” he said.
“It's really an inconvenience but there is no way or no alternative…. We have to sacrifice, even our economy will be affected but it's worth it because you know there is a projection from the WHO (World Health Organization) with the trend now if we don’t do drastic measures our cases will (rise) exponentially, their (WHO) estimate is 75,000 positive cases. Now with the five percent severe or serious and there percent fatality,” he added.
He said the government does not want to reach the situation of Italy where they first reported minimal cases and suddenly their numbers rose to around 2,000.
“So it's a bitter pill to swallow but the President has decided that we have to really do it… it's really very hard, very difficult but we have to implement for the good of everyone. You know if we can save 1, 2, 3 lives, it’s worth it,” he said.
The interior secretary urged the public to not panic on the actions being taken by the government.
“We are doing this for the good of everyone. This is not a lock down… we are just making sure the virus will not spread to the provinces… we know that the virus is there, we don’t know who are the carriers so we need restriction and finally with effective control the number will not rise further and also with the local government units, they have the biggest role her and they have the power to implement community quarantine and that will be supported by the AFP and PNP,” he said.
“This virus has only a lifespan of 14 days up to 20 days… It does not leave the place so if the person (who is carrying the virus) will go to places it will spread so let’s contain the virus. Let’s cure the virus as it will die on its own and then that's how we can contain this threat,” Año added. Ella Dionisio/DMS
