Cortes not inclined to put Mandaue under ECQ

Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes. CDN Digital photo | Mary Rose Sagarino

MANDAUE CITY, Philippines – Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes said he is not inclined to place the city under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) contrary to the recommendations of some consultants of the Department of Health Central Office who want the entire Island of Cebu under ECQ.

Cortes said it would be very difficult for the city’s economy and residents.

“Angay huna-hunaon ug tarong ang paglockdown sa Mandaue kay ang lockdown dili lalim…dili lalim sa atong ekonomiya ug labi na sa atong mga kaigsoonan nga mga yanong Mandauehanon,” said Cortes.

Lawyer John Eddu Ibañez, Cortes’ executive secretary, said putting Cebu under ECQ would be catastrophic.

He added it would be a very big blow to the city’s already battered economy as businesses are now gradually re-opening under the current MGCQ status.

Ibañez said the city’s economy will not survive another lockdown.

Ibañez added this will not just affect the businesses but most especially the workers who would lose their jobs and their families who would go hungry.

“Atong problema ani dili nalang COVID, problema sad nato unsa ang ipakaon sa atong kaigsuunang Mandauehanon nga wa gyud ba. Okay lang if naa tay savings para rainy days pero kato intawn’g og dili ka trabaho dili kakaon. Huna-hunaon sad nato ba nga lisod ang panahon sa COVID, yes pero mas lisod ang kahimtang karun sa minimum wage earners ug katung mga below poverty line. Mao lang na atoa dako gyud ang epekto sa lockdown,” said Ibañez.

Lawyer Lizer Malate, head of the city’s Business Permit Licensing Office (BPLO) said about 15,000 of 17,000 businesses in the city are now operating under MGCQ status. Malate said that when the city was under ECQ only around 4,000 businesses, all essentials were allowed to operate. /rcg