Cebu City: Going in is easy, going out…tricky

Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia inspects the border checkpoint at the border of Mandaue and Cebu cities along AS Fortuna St.in Mandaue City a few hours after the province’s ECQ has started. | Rosalie O. Abatayo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — While it is easier for workers from the component towns and cities of Cebu province to enter Cebu City, going back to where you came from is another story.

Governor Gwendolyn Garcia reiterated on Monday, March 30, 2020, that anyone entering the province from Cebu City needs to belong to those exempted from the border closure that the province instituted amid the rising cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the city.

Since the implementation of the province’s ECQ, police checkpoints have already been installed in all the ten borders of Cebu City and Cebu province to regulate the ingress of individuals from the city to the province.

The border checkpoints are located in Barangay Bulacao and the Cebu South Coastal Road in Talisay City; Barangay Gaas in Balamban; and the access roads in Barangays Subangdaku, Canduman, Cabancalan, and Alang-alang.

Read more: Who are exempted from prohibition of entry in Cebu City?

Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella, during a separate press conference earlier, announced that employees who reside from outside the city will no longer need to present their quarantine pass as their work identification cards will already suffice.

However, Garcia warned the public that if they are not among the exempted individuals in the border closure, they will still not be allowed to enter the province.

“Ang pagsulod sa Cebu City, walay problema. Gani, pasalamat ta sa Dakbayan sa Sugbo kay wala na lisud-lisora ang tanan kay mamahimo nang makasulod kung naa ngari nagtrabaho. Apan, sama sa giingon ko, inig gawaas sa Cebu City, tungod lagi kay nagkataas ug nagkataas ang gidaghanon sa COVID-19 positive case sa Cebu City, kinahanglan ang rigid containment measures,” Garcia said.

(Entering Cebu City will not be a problem. In fact, we are grateful to the City of Cebu because they did not make life difficult for everybody and that those outside the city and work in the city can enter the city. But like I said it will be difficult to leave the city because the cases of COVID-19 positive there are increasing, we need to implement rigid containment measures.)

Among those who are allowed to enter the province from Cebu City are officials and employees of the provincial government, congressmen of Cebu’s seven districts, Lapu-Lapu City and the two districts of Cebu City, Justices of the Supreme Court and other lower courts, directors of national line agencies, field personnel of utility companies, DOH officials and employees, hospital workers, and officials of financial services like banks and money transfer firms.

Persons with pre-existing health conditions and need to visit hospitals in Cebu City will also be allowed entry to the province.

Read more: Talisay City to issue vehicle passes to residents who need to visit Cebu City hospitals

The Capitol will also issue a “vehicle transit pass” for individuals from the province who need to go to another locality in the province but need to pass through Cebu City.

“For cases like that nga diri nagpuyo sa probinsya unya kinahanglan moagi gyud sa Cebu City kay di man ka kaadto sa norte kung naa ka sa south, kinahanglan ka moagi og Cebu City, ma-issuehan ka og vehicle transit pass,” Garcia said.

Read more: Garcia tells supermarket owners: Provide accommodation for your employees

Garcia has earlier called on supermarkets and pharmacies in Cebu City that were allowed to operate despite the ECQ to provide accommodation for their employees who currently reside in the province.

She said that letting workers of establishments like supermarkets and pharmacies to go in and out of Cebu City may bring about the spread of COVID-19 in the province.

At present, Cebu City already has 20 positive COVID-19 cases with three deaths while the province has recorded one positive case each for Talisay City, Cordova, and the highly urbanized city of Mandaue. /rcg