KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews / 21 March) – Effective 12:01 a.,m. on Monday, March 23, non-residents will no longer be allowed entry into the city and all entry points will be closed until April 6, as part of its enhanced community quarantine measure.
In his Executive Order No. 30 issued on March 21, Mayor Joseph Evangelista said all non-residents of the city will be prohibited from entering,
Healthcare personnel and those working within the city are exempted from the rule, along with elected and appointed officials, employees, and personnel of the provincial and local governments in North Cotabato, including those working in the national and regional level, other government line agencies in the exercise of their public functions and the judiciary.
Also subject to exceptions are radio and TV personnel and other media entities; department; department stores; food service establishments but limited only for take-out and delivery services; stores that supply or retail agricultural products and veterinary supplies; banks, money transfer establishments and other financial institutions; gasoline stations and LPG sellers; telecommunication facilities; power and water utility companies; power producing companies; manufacturing and processing plants; funeral parlors; vulcanizing shops; water refilling stations; sari-sari stores; couriers; printing establishments; and institutions involved in lending.
Evangelista said that under his order, only tricycles with franchise are allowed to ply city streets, barangay roads, and other routes.
Other mass transport vehicles including vans, buses, and multicabs are not allowed entry but may only drop off passengers at the duly designated checkpoints.
In the case of tricycle, Evangelista said each can carry only two passengers. All ‘habal-habal’, ‘skylabs’, or motorcycles are not allowed to carry passengers or ‘back-rider’ in order to observe social distancing.
Mayor Evangelista said the city government shall also provide transportation services for free for personnel involved in the maintenance of public order and health.
While the city is under enhanced community quarantine, Evangelista ordered his constituents to stay home.
His office, he said, will issue a Kidapawan Quarantine Identification Pass (KID-QIP) to each family in the city, which will be distributed in each barangay.
The Kidapawan Quarantine ID pass, the mayor explained, shall serve as the authorization for the member of each family to leave home or residence to purchase food, medicines, and basic necessities.
Evangelista said the distribution of ID passes will be done house-to-house by personnel of the City Local Government Operations Office, City Social Welfare and Development Office, and City Planning and Development Office.
The Quarantine ID passes shall be given only to a healthy member of the family.
The mayor stressed, however, that those persons under monitoring and investigation due to their recent travels to Luzon and countries with Covid-19 cases are not allowed to secure a Quarantine ID pass.
He said any unauthorized copying or printing of the of the Kidapawan Quarantine ID Pass is tantamount to the crime of ‘falsification of public or official documents’ and shall be prosecuted, accordingly.
“Fraudulent use of the Kidapawan Quarantine ID pass to violate mandatory home quarantine shall constitute non-cooperation under Republic Act 11332 and shall be prosecuted, accordingly,” he said.
Also, work in City Hall are suspended while the city is placed under ‘enhanced’ community quarantine, except those offices that are essential to the delivery of basic services to the community, which include the City Assessors Office, City Treasury, Civil Registrar, City Social Welfare and Development, CLGOO, Agriculture Office, City Environment and Natural Resources Office, Economic Management and Enterprises Office, City Health Office, City Hospital, Business Permit and Licensing Office, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, City Mayor’s Office, and City Information Office.
Curfew has been imposed from 9 pm until 5 am since March 18, he said.
For persons under investigation (PUIs) who showed mild flu-like symptoms, the city government has designated the Kidapawan City Pilot Elementary School (KCPES) as isolation facility. The facility, he explained, would be manned by a government doctor, nurse, midwife, utility, and members of the Civil Security Unit.
In order to prevent the evasion or circumvention of the quarantine checkpoints, the mayor said he might order all public and private roads at any point in Kidapawan City closed, upon the recommendation of the Traffic Management Unit, for passage of the enabling ordinance.
He said the barangay government unit that has territorial jurisdiction over the closed road shall be responsible for the operation of the road blocks. (Malu Cadelina-Manar / MindaNews)
