Under normal circumstances, Natalio Bacalso Avenue is one of the busiest thoroughfares in Cebu City. But with the city under enhanced community quarantine, the avenue is more like an avenue of a ghost town. | Gerard Francisco
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Some businesses can start to operate at limited capacity starting Saturday, May 16, 2020, as the city shifts to the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ).
In the newly signed Executive Order No. 77, Mayor Edgardo Labella specified that some businesses such as repair and installation of machinery industries, real estate industries, veterinary clinics, and even some stalls in malls may reopen.
Here is the full list of the allowed industries to operate during the MECQ:
CATEGORY I: (may operate at full capacities)
- Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries
- Manufacturing of essential goods
- Hospitals and Clinics
- Essential retail
- Laundry shops
- Food Preparations
- Logistics and service providers
- Delivery services
- Repair and installation of machinery
- Utilities (energy, water, garbage collection, sewage)
- Telecommunications
- Gasoline Stations
- Construction
- Media establishments
CATEGORY II (may operate with full capacity):
- Cement and Steel
- Mining and Quarrying
- Electronic Commerce Companies
- Postal carriers and delivery services
- Export-oriented companies
- Hosing service activities
- Special purpose accommodations
- Business Process Outsourcing
- Banks
- Capital Markets
- Rental and leasing
- Employment recruitment
CATEGORY III Industries (may operate at half capacity)
- Manufacturing of non-essential goods
- Real estate activities
- Office administrative and support
- Accommodation for guests
- Funeral and Embalming
- Veterinary clinics
- Security and Investigations services
- Financial services
- Legal and Accounting
- Management and Consultancy services
- Architecture and engineering services
- Scientific and research development
- Advertising and market research
- Computer programming
- Publishing and printing activities
- Film, music, and tv production
- Wholesale and retail trade
- Repair shops
- Malls and commercial centers (restaurants, hardware, clothing and accessories, mall-based government frontline services, bookstores, and school and office supplies, baby care, pet food and pet care, IT and electronic equipment, flower and jewelry, and toy stores)
The management or operators of these industries who will be allowed to operate at full or partial capacity must sign an oath of undertaking submitted to the Mayor’s Office, that they will subject their workers for rapid tests.
Other provisions under the MECQ:
Inter-island travel will still be limited except for essential frontliners such as government workers, medical workers, law enforcement, repatriated overseas workers, returning Filipinos, and trucks carrying essential goods.
Public mass transport is still not allowed except for company and public shuttles.
Private vehicles may ply the streets provided they follow the number coding and only two individuals may be in the car.
Motorcycles and bicycles can only carry one person, no back-riding is allowed.
People may go out of their homes occasionally to jog and go walking, but only one person per household may go out at a time with respect to the social distancing. Masks are obligatory.
Other policies during the ECQ are still applicable during the MECQ such as the Carbon Market schedule, liquor ban in public places, stay at home order for senior citizens and minors, and the use of the ECQ pass.
The mayor reiterates that work from home remains the standard for other industries that are still not allowed to operate under the MECQ. /rcg