First in Recorded History: Province Closes Boundaries on Cebu City

When the clock struck 12 o’clock, the Provincial Government closed its boundaries on Cebu City. Public transport will come to a halt, and movement of people will be limited with the use of quarantine passes.

In what many consider as a scene unexpected to occur in this lifetime, this unprecedented move is to protect the Province’s inhabitants from the rising number of COVID-19 cases in its capital city.

Since Friday, people were given a last-minute chance to move out of Cebu City, which recorded 19 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with two fatalities. The Capitol tapped a private bus company, SMB, which fielded 10 buses to help move people to their destinations.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) will set up checkpoints in the cities of Talisay and Mandaue and the town of Balamban, the Province’s boundaries with Cebu City. They will be assisted by the military, barangay tanods and other force multipliers. Checkpoints will be expected in every boundary of each city and town as well.

Exemptions, though, are given for workers in the medical field and those giving essential services. Movement of cargoes will continue.

“This is for the protection of Cebu and the Cebuanos. First and foremost, I must act in the interest of Cebu and the Cebuanos,” said Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, who spends her days until late evenings at the Capitol meeting with directors of National Government agencies, police and the military and leaders of the private sector.

“This is no longer to mitigate. This is already to contain,” she said.

There are only two presumptive positive cases in Cebu Province: one in Mandaue City and one in Cordova. “Presumptive positive” is a positive result that needs confirmation from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM). However, Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) is now a licensed subnational laboratory so its results will no longer need RITM’s confirmation, according to Dr. Jaime Bernadas, Department of Health (DOH)-7 director.

For workers of business process outsourcing (BPOs) and construction works in Cebu City who live in the province, Garcia said that companies must provide them a place to stay.

The mandatory home quarantine for all residents of Cebu Province is meant to reduce risk of exposure or transmission of the COVID virus, but measures are put in place to make sure that the public will have access to basic services despite limited movement and reduction of workforce in the private sector.

Banks, money remittance centers and other financial institutions will remain open, although on a skeleton force. So will pharmacies, groceries, supermarkets, and public markets in component cities and towns. The Capitol will also convert gyms or multi-purpose buildings near town halls into a “Bagsakan Center” where rice, milk, coffee, noodles and canned goods are made available to the public at affordable prices.

Even before the enhanced community quarantine is put in place, weeks ago Gov. Garcia already rallied all religious groups in the province to suspend all services except funerals. Now, only 10 direct family members are allowed to be present in the service and even then, strict social distancing must be observed.

Fuel stations, LPG outlets and hardware stores are allowed to open, as well as energy companies and those in the telecommunications industry. To ensure that essential hygiene products are available, the operation of companies manufacturing soap, rubbing alcohol, hand sanitizers, detergents, diapers, wipes, toilet papers and disinfectants shall continue without restrictions.

Laundry and water refilling stations, agrivet stores and general merchandise stores will remain open until 5 pm.

Restaurants, pizza place, fast food chains, eateries and carenderias are only available for take-out or drive thru, while ambulant vendors are no longer allowed. Bakeshops and sari-sari stores may open until 9PM.

The Provincial Government is establishing a mechanism of aid to help displaced workers, indigent families and senior citizens with no income to help the weather the crisis. The assistance will be coursed through municipal and barangay governments, who are directed to deliver these in the households. The Capitol strictly prohibits the gathering of beneficiaries for distribution of relief packs.

Individuals needing medical attention in Cebu City’s facilities can still cross the boundaries with a driver and accompanying family member.

Barangay health workers, barangay nutrition scholars, rural health workers and frontliners of district hospitals and provincial hospitals are given Vitamin C supplements, face masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE).

The Capitol is tapping the inmates of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center to make masks, which would be paid for by the Province, while private groups have offered to make and donate PPEs. The Capitol is doubling the health insurance of BHWs from P50,000 to P100,000.

There are enough supplies of alcohol in Capitol’s hospitals, while the Province will purchase additional ventilators. DOH will add more doctors and nurses at Province-run health facilities.

Since late January, Cebu’s first woman governor has been at the helm of coordination meetings with officials and stakeholders and have imposed mitigating policies against COVID-19. She has filed charges against those spreading fake and alarmist information.

The Department of Trade and Industry also lauded the Province for being the first to convene the Price Monitoring Council. The governor vows to go after apartment owners, subdivisions and others who will discriminate against doctors and medical practitioners.

Now that the government is in containment stage, one would ask, is Cebu ready?

“Nag-andam ta pero di ko ka sulti nga sobra ba among pangandam because we are fighting a faceless enemy. Di makita. Pero buhaton nato ang tanan. Are we ready enough? I cannot assure you. Ang ako lang gyud ikasulti nga we are doing what we can,” said Garcia.

Whether the Provincial Government has prepared enough or not, only time will tell. But as of now, the governor has assured that they at the Capitol are working triple time, leaving no stone unturned, wasting not a minute of each day, to make sure that the spread of COVID-19 is prevented.

Now, if only everyone else will do his part by staying home. (JPM/SN)