DAVAO CITY — Davao del Norte is not totally closing its doors to people outside their province but stressed the need to protect everyone from coronavirus-19 (Covid-19) infection.
Governor Edwin Jubahib in an interview with Newsline Wednesday night said aside from the frontliners, PNP personnel and other persons considered as frontliners, “We allow entry of essentials, judges, managers up to supervisors but for those who want to return home they will be subjected to our 14-day quarantine.”
Jubahid issued Executive Order No. 40 on May 16 placing all cities and municipalities of Davao del Norte under General Community Quarantine which provided the policies, regulations and sanction.
Under Section 2, it stated the condition among travellers to wit:
15. Travelers going inside the Province is subject to stringent screening procedures by the members of the Provincial COVID-19 Inter-Agency Task Force at the designated checkpoints in the Province. Passengers are required to present their employment IDs/Work Pass if working inside the Province, and/or Quarantine Pass/Market Pass before they are allowed entry.
16. Travelers and vehicles coming from Davao City and Bukidnon are not allowed to enter the Province, except those from the COVID-19 Crisis Management and Response Team, emergency vehicles, health workers, and organic PNP and military personnel who are on official travel; and those who have approved travel order by Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.
On Wednesday, Jubahib said “they are crafting guidelines to make some adjustments for June 1, as the Department of Education (DepEd) has ordered the teachers to go back to school and get ready for the enrollment.
Jubahib issued a clarification as netizens chided the stiff policy they are implementing which resulted in confusion against the Inter-Agency task Force (IATF) memorandum which serves as the bible of the local government in their Covid-19 policies.
“Naga-craft mi sa guidelines(We are crafting the guidelines) and preparing the ground now and, anytime we will release it before June 1,” Jubahib stressed but he emphasized they are protecting everyone.
Alex Roldan, director of Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) XI has issued a memorandum on May 18, 2020, to Davao del Norte citing their stiff guideline which runs counter to the IATF.
To this, Jubahib said they have submitted their answer to the DILG.
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio in an interview with the city-government owned DCDR on Tuesday, May 26, also cited the stiff regulation of Panabo City.
“Dati naman na open ang Davao City ug Panabo, akong giingon lang sa ila na dili lang nila pangayuan og travel order ang mga tao na mosulod. Kung nagtrabaho dira pangitai lang ninyo og ID. Wala ko nanghuraw sa ila ang ako lang di lang nila pangayuan og documents sama sa valid signature sa Mayor. Kung dili mo mosugot magpasulod, magpasaka mo into ECQ kay dili pwede musulod ug gawas. Pero kung GCQ mo pareho sa inyong silingan pwede mo magpasulod basta di lang suroy-suroy,” Duterte-Carpio said.
(The Davao City-Panabo (road) has long been open, what I am saying is that they do not ask for travel orders from people coming in. If they are workers ask for ID, I am not scaring them, my point is they should not ask documents like the valid signature of the Mayor. If they will not allow entry, they must elevate into ECQ because entry and exit are now allowed. But if you are GCQ like your neighbors you can allow entry as long as it is not leisure).
The farmers/workers agony:
Judith Chua, a Davao-based trader who owns a farm in Carmen, Davao del Norte revealed, she received a tongue-lashing remark from a covid-19 checkpoint in Carmen, Davao del Norte as she asked to be allowed entry to visit her farm since it was harvest time.
Two weeks ago, Chua said she went to Carmen to check her production with a food pass and a certificate that she is a supplier of essential goods but when she reached Carmen checkpoint, a lady frontliner shouted at her saying that she will be allowed to proceed to Bingcungan but she will be monitored, if she will disembark in Carmen she will be arrested, telling among others that “Bawal ang taga-Davao mosulod sa Davnor” by then, she decided to return to the city.
A manager of agricultural implements was also ordered to return to Davao even if he presented his Food Lane Pass from the Department of Agriculture was not allowed to enter in Panabo City.
Jesyll Monte, a resident of Panabo this morning revealed: ” Paita ning Panabo oi naa ako mama ug ate natanggong sa checkpoint dli jud pasudlon panabo naa na sila travel permit (It is difficult in Panabo, my mother is stuck at the checkpoint, she is not allowed entry here even if she has travel permit”.
As of this posting, the guideline set by the provincial government is being applied and has remained a challenge to residents, business groups and motorists.-Newsline
