On Tuesday, Apr. 28, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque announced an updated list of areas that will remain under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) from May 1 to 15 as determined by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases:
- National Capital Region
- Central Luzon except Aurora
- Region IV-A CALABARZON
- Pangasinan
- Benguet
- Baguio City
- Iloilo province
- Cebu province
- Cebu City
- Davao City
Capiz, Aklan, Antique, Davao del Norte and de Oro, which were previously classified as ECQ areas, are now just under general community quarantine (GCQ). These are areas deemed to have a low to moderate risk to COVID-19 infection, and where some services and sectors will be allowed to operate in limited capacity.
In the same virtual presser, Roque outlined a few recommendations from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on which services, industries and activities are allowed under both ECQ and GCQ and which are still prohibited even in areas where the quarantine has been relaxed.
“Ito po ay rekomendasyon ng DTI [at] hindi pa pormal na naaprubahan pero tingin ko po ay mayroon nang consensus,” Roque said. “So parang ito na po talaga ’yan, mabuti nang mabigyan ng advanced notice.” However, he clarified that there may be changes to this list on the next IATF briefing.
Sectors allowed under both ECQ and GCQ
(as of Apr. 28)
Agriculture and fisheries
Industries
Manufacturing and processing plants of basic necessities, essential products, medicine and medical supplies including all food, hygiene products, disinfectants, medicine and vitamins, PPEs, mask, gloves and pet food
Services
- Hospitals and medical clinics
- Dentists and EENT
- Retail establishments (groceries, convenience stores, public market, pharmacies, drugstores)
- Food preparation and water refilling stations
- Logistics service provider (cargo, warehouse, trucking, freight and shipping)
- Delivery services (in-house or outsourced) via e-commerce, transporting only food, water, medicine, pet food, hardware products, basic necessities, clothing access and office supplies
- Banks, capital markets
- Power, energy, water, IT, telecom, waste disposal and other technical service providers
- elect, gas, steam, aircon
- Postal, courier
- Water collection, cleaning and supply
- Sewage
- Veterinary clinics
- Machinery repair
- Computer repair
- Manpower for essential activities
- Security and investigation agencies
- Programing and broadcasting networks
- Rental and leasing (except for mass gathering)
- Accommodation (only as temporary accommodation for essential workers)
- Extraction of crude petroleum and natural gas
- Gasoline stations
- Laundry shops (including self-service)
- Funeral services
Exports*
- Export companies
- Business Process Outsourcing
- Mining and quarrying
*provided workers are provided with temporary accommodation and shuttle or work from home arrangement
Allowed in GCQ not ECQ
(as of Apr. 28)
- Malls and commercial centers (limited opening of hardware, clothing accessories and non-leisure stores)
- Barbershops, salons, spas and other personal care industries
- Forestry and logging
- Publishing
- Motion picture, music, TV production
- Real estate (except buy and sell)
- Office administration
- Legal and accounting services
- Insurance and pension funding
- Architecture and engineering
- Government office and frontline offices
Prohibited under both ECQ and GCQ
(as of Apr. 28)
- Entertainment-related mass gatherings
- Gyms and fitness studios
- Business-related mass gatherings
- Politically-related mass gatherings
- Sports-related mass gatherings
- Libraries, archives, museums and other cultural activities
- Gambling and betting
- Travel services
Header photo courtesy of Grig Montegrande/Inquirer
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