Cebu Trims ‘Exempted Individuals’ from Crossing Borders

Amid the increasing number of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases, Governor Gwendolyn Garcia will no longer allow persons from Cebu City to cross the borders if they are not on the list of authorized persons.

Under the new policy, persons who are supposed to be exempted but not on the list provided by the provincial government are prohibited to cross borders.

The move was to reduce the number of persons exempted from border restrictions, in a bid to prevent the disease from spreading outside the capital city.

“Since it would seem that Cebu City continues to increase its numbers in the positive cases that have already been confirmed by the DOH (Department of Health), I find it more prudent that aside from a general classification or a general sector nga atong ibutang diha nga exempted (that we considered exempted), we will now have to go down to specifics,” Garcia was quoted as saying in the provincial capitol’s official news site.

In a meeting with government line agencies, banks, telecommunication companies, utility providers, power producers, petroleum suppliers, and money remittance centers, Garcia required them to submit a list of their employees.

The employees’ list will be subjected to review.

Garcia issued executive order 5-O exempting government officials, national government agencies, banks, petroleum suppliers, utility providers, money remittances, security agencies, among others from the ban to cross borders.

She subsequently issued EO 5-Q, superseding EO 5-O, that further trimmed down the exemptions.

Under the new EO, mayors and vice mayors are allowed to enter Cebu City and go back to their respective hometowns.

The same privilege will no longer be enjoyed by members of the diplomatic corps and consular offices as most of the foreign service offices are in Cebu City.

Health care professionals and workers in medical centers, including janitors, will be required to present to border control points their Professional Regulations Commission identification cards and certificate of employment.

In Garcia’s “specifics” policy, national government agencies, utility providers, and other sectors listed as exempted under EO 5-O need to scrutinize its staffing and adopt a “new normal” operating scheme.

Non-city residents working at the provincial capitol will no longer be allowed to report as well as provincial workers who are residents of Cebu City barangays affected with Covid-19.

“We will have to implement even stricter controls karon (now). That is why we will go through each and every exemption and we would need your help in identifying because the province will now issue a pass. Aside from the ID, duna sad ipakita nga (something has to be shown like a) provincial government-issued pass,” she said.

Garcia’s decision to trim down exempted persons allowed to cross borders came after the Cebu City Health Department recorded 312 confirmed Covid-19 cases and six deaths.

The DOH-7 recorded only three cases from Cebu province, with one each from Cordova, Consolacion, and Talisay. However, highly-urbanized cities of Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue recorded 13 and nine cases, respectively. (PNA)