Mandaue City: No ‘verbal negotiation’ in border checkpoints

Governor Gwendolyn Garcia inspects police checkpoints at the border of Cebu City and Mandaue City hours after the implementation of the province-wide enhanced community quarantine last March 30, 2020. | CDN Digital

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The city government of Mandaue has prohibited verbal explanations or discussions for persons leaving or entering the city’s borders effective Tuesday midnight, April 21, 2020.

In his Executive Order No. 67-B, Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes said a “document only policy” shall be strictly imposed in the border checkpoints when authorities are verifying if a person is authorized to enter or exit the city’s jurisdictions.

“Verbal explanation is discouraged, as the document should speak for itself without the need [for] further explanation,” Section 1-A of the EO 67-B read.

“Thus, if the document [does] not expressly state or appear that the person and travel [are] exempted or essential, the vehicle and the passengers shall not be allowed entry,” it added.

However, industries that support essential services may be allowed entry into the city if their travel is supported by a vehicle/border pass duly issued the Mayor’s Office.

The city also ordered that no vehicle or person, including government vehicles and officials, should be exempted from showing their documents except for fire trucks, ambulances and emergency response teams.

The executive order also orders companies that were allowed to operate despite the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) to provide living quarters for their employees who were not residents of the city.

This as the city, starting Tuesday, will no longer allow the entry of persons into the city except for national and local government officials and employees, Justices of courts, Cebu congressmen, judges and the skeletal workforce of lower courts, diplomatic corps, medical workers, media workers, field personnel of utility workers and telecommunication companies, cargo personnel, energy-related workers (i.e. fuel, petroleum, electricity), persons needing medical assistance and funeral services workers and family members of the deceased.

The additional measures are instituted in view of the rising cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Cebu City.

As of April 19, Cebu City has logged 165 COVID-19 cases with 15 recoveries and 6 deaths. Mandaue City, on the other hand, has 6 confirmed cases with two recoveries and no death.

Meanwhile, although motorcycle delivery services are allowed to continue to operate, the city said their operation should be limited for clients and from stores within the city’s jurisdictions.

Only delivery services bringing medicines that are not available in the city will be allowed to enter its jurisdiction provided that the receiver of the items will notify the emergency operations center (EOC) of the city ahead of time.

The city has also specified the entry and exit points where cargos and exempted persons may be allowed to pass when entering or leaving the city.

Entry and exit points of cargo and essential workers in Mandaue City (Based on EO 67-B)

The checkpoints in the city’s boundaries from Cebu City are in Ouano Avenue (Cebu International Port), M.C. Briones Street (Subangdaku), Panagdait (Hernan Cortes Street), A.S. Fortuna Street (Banilad), M.L. Quezon Ave., (Cabancalan-Talamban), and H. Abellana Street (Canduman-Talamban).

From Consolacion town in its north, Mandaue City’s boundary checkpoints are at the Cansaga Bridge (Paknaan-Tayud) and Cebu North Road in Barangay Jagobiao. Checkpoints are also instituted at the two Mactan-Mandaue bridges which connect Mactan Island to mainland Cebu.

Of the 10 boundaries in the city, cargo trucks will not be allowed to enter and exit through M.C. Briones and A.S. Fortuna streets and the Osmeña Bridge (first Mandaue-Mactan bridge). Cargo vehicles are also prohibited at Panagdait boundary, except if they are already exiting from the city.

Exempted persons and essential workers, however, are allowed to enter and exit from the city through all the boundaries./dbs