Read the following MECQ guidelines issued by the City Inter-Agency Task Force in Puerto Princesa.
I. When will the MECQ be effective in Puerto Princesa City?
Based on President Rodrigo Duterte’s address to the nation on May 31, 2021, Puerto Princesa City will be under MECQ from June 1 to June 15.
II. What are the most important things to remember during the MECQ?
A. THE FOLLOWING ESTABLISHMENTS ARE PROHIBITED TO OPERATE
- Karaoke bars, bars, clubs, concert halls, theaters, bowling alleys, and other recreational centers;
- Internet cafes, billiard halls, amusement arcades, bowling alleys, and other recreational venues;
- Amusement parks/theme parks, fairs, play areas for children, playrooms, and rides;
- Outdoor sports courts or venues for contact sports, scrimmage, games, or activities;
- Indoor sports courts or venues, fitness studios, gyms, spas, and other indoor leisure centers or facilities, swimming pools;
- Cockfighting, lottery, and betting establishments, and other gaming establishments except for official drawing venues being conducted by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office;
- Indoor visitor or tourist attractions, libraries, archives, museums, galleries, cultural shows and exhibits;
- Outdoor tourist attractions;
- MICE (meeting, incentive, conference, and exhibition) venues;
- Personal care services – beauty salons, beauty parlors, medical aesthetic clinics, cosmetic and dermatology clinics, spas, tattoo parlors, etc. Home services are also not allowed;
- Indoor dine-in services – restaurants, commissaries, and eateries.
III. LIMITATIONS ON SOCIAL MOBILITY UNDER MECQ
- Mass gatherings outdoors or outside one’s own home is strictly prohibited unless it is to:
a. Avail of government services, and;
b. Attend the wake of a deceased loved one where the person is an immediate family member. - Religious gatherings are strictly prohibited;
- Individual outdoor exercises (jogging, walking, biking) are allowed only within one’s barangay, purok, or subdivision where the individual resides;
- The following restrictions are also in place:
a. Strict stay-at-home orders for persons below 18 and above 65 years old;
b. Curfew hours – 7:00PM to 5:00AM
c. Liquor ban (public consumption not allowed)
d. Operation of hotels and hotels with valid Department of Tourism (DOT) accreditation – subject to DOT and IATF guidelines
e. Public transportation is allowed, but subject to maximum seating capacity and other guidelines as mandated by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) for areas under MECQ
IV. What are the possible penalties for violating the guidelines?
Aside from existing city ordinances, violators may face charges for Non-cooperation of Person or Entity by virtue of Section 9, paragraph (d) or (3) of Republic Act No. 11332 (Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Concern Act) at ng Implementing Rules and Regulations nito.
V. REMINDER: To further strengthen contact tracing efforts, Executive Order No. 17, series of 2021, which mandates the use of the StaySafe.ph app for everyone who wishes to transact business in Puerto Princesa City, will be strictly implemented. All offices and establishments in the city are strongly urged to download and register in the StaySafe.ph system and follow EO No. 17’s regulations.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING:
• Omnibus Guidelines on the Implementation of Community Quarantine in the Philippines (Last Amended: May 20, 2021): https://doh.gov.ph/COVID-19/IATF-Resolutions
• ANNEX “A” of DTI Memorandum Circular No. 21-19, series of 2021 (Category I-IV and Negative List of Business Establishments/Activities as of May 14, 2021) https://www.dti.gov.ph/covid19/issuances/
