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Davao City shortens curfew hours

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DAVAO CITY — The city government of Davao has shortened the curfew hours of the city as it implements a new quarantine status to General Community Quarantine (GCQ).

The city announced that effective November 20 until December 31, 2020, Dabawenyos are no longer allowed to stay outside of their residences from 9 PM to 4 AM. 

This is based on Executive Order No. 55-B issued by Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, amending curfew hours in the city from 7 PM to 5 AM to 9 PM to 4 AM.

The decision to shorten curfew hours was an offshoot of the tightened quarantine status implemented by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases reverting to GCQ from November 19 until 30.

Duterte-Carpio in an interview with the city-owned Disaster radio said “Daghan establishments which are only allowed 50 to 75% occupancy so kinahanglan ilang operating hours i-extend, maong i-shorten nato ang curfew (Some establishments are allowed to only have 50 to 75% occupancy, so there is a need to extend their operating hours that is why we shortened the curfew hours)”.

The curfew is implemented to pre-empt the increase of cases due to after-work non-essential activities, especially during the Christmas season.

  • A. All government workers who are on duty during curfew hours;
  • B. All private offices and establishments employees who time in and time out of work within the curfew hours including their drivers, this shall mean to include their travel to and from their residence;
  • C. All medical doctors and veterinarians who need to work;
  • D. Workers of public utility companies (energy, water, internet, etc.) and their contractors, sub-contractors, and other suppliers conducting construction, maintenance, or emergency activities;
  • E. Subsistence and business fishing activities, their vessels are subject to lawful inspection by the Maritime Police, Task Force Davao, Navy or Coast Guard, if there is a reasonable belief that there is illegal activity or unlawful materials in the vessel;
  • F. Individuals attending the wake of a family member;
  • G. Priests, Imams, Pastors, and other Religious Ministers conducting
  • funeral/burial prayers or administering the last rites of a dying person;
  • H. Public Utility Vehicles;
  • I. Agricultural and Non-Agricultural Cargo;
  • J. Food Delivery Services;
  • K. Airplane passengers traveling to and from the airport;
  • L. Market suppliers, deliveries, and vendors;
  • M. Travellers going out or passing through the city;
  • N. All medical, emergency, and disaster cases, including the purchase of medicines, medical supplies, and equipment;
  • O. Patients, their assistant, and driver going to and from the hospital, chemotherapy center, dialysis center, and other medical treatment, therapy, and rehabilitation service.

EO No. 55-B also mentioned the sectors that are exempted from the curfew.

The EO also reiterated that individuals who are inspected on the streets or stopped in checkpoints are required to present an employee’s ID of an establishment operating within the curfew hours.

The curfew shall cover only individuals but offices, establishments, places of worship, and other institutions are encouraged to adjust their operating hours.

Also, all videoke and karaoke playing inside private property shall be prohibited from 10 p.m to 5 a.m every day. The Purok Leader may ask for police assistance at any time of the day to turn-off a videoke/karaoke, if the sound volume has become disturbing to its neighborhood.

All public venues and establishments that do not have a business permit to operate as a videoke, karaoke, or sing-along place are prohibited to operate their equipment.-Newsline.ph