Vehicles await the traffic light to turn green in an intersection along Osmeña Boulevard on Tuesday, April 14, 2020. CDN Digital photo | Rosalie Abatayo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella is open to the idea of stricter border controls in the city so as not to spread the virus to the other towns and cities in the province.
However, he does not recommend a full closure of the borders so as to accommodate the generally exempted workers such as medical professionals and government workers.
Cebu City remains to be the capital of the province and the entire region where most offices are located such as the Provincial Capitol and the Department of Health.
He said the city can further tighten the security, especially that recently many cars have been going out again amidst the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
The mayor has ordered stricter police checkpoints not just at the borders but also within the interior city streets and national roads for monitoring.
The motorists will be monitored why they are going out and if they really need to. If their reason is unacceptable, they will be asked to go home and not get through.
“Mao na nagsige tag traffic, unta dili nalang gyod mogawas. (That’s why we are having traffic now. They shouldn’t be going out),” said the mayor.
Cebu Port Authority Commissioner Mike Acebedo Lopez posted on his Facebook page the suggestion of using shipment containers to block the borders between Cebu City and its neighboring towns or cities.
“I just spoke with our Cebu Port Authority (CPA) General Manager Nilo Miole and with OPASCOR (cargo handler at the Cebu International Port) and they support my proposal to use empty shipping containers to secure borders and boundaries within Cebu, especially Cebu City. OPASCOR can help us deploy the containers,” said Lopez.
He said the empty shipping containers will be used to block off roads and leave only one or two lanes open at access points to and from every barangay for easy monitoring.
There should only be one access point open for every barangay, everything else must be completely closed off using these containers.
“Containers could not only effectively block off roads like an actual wall at border checkpoints they could also function as satellite command centers for our police/military with food, water, portable toilet, tables, chairs, and communication equipment. Better than the flimsy tolda/tent,” he added.
For Labella, this may be a good way to impose border control and further limit movement in the interiors and borders of the city.
Still, the exempted personnel must still be able to go in and out so as not to hamper operations, the mayor added. /rcg