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The re-implementation of strict border controls by the Cebu City government may have adverse effects on the business community, which has already been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.
Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Steven Yu said the traffic increases logistics costs and hampers business recovery.
He said he saw lines of vehicles on the road leading to Cebu City in Barangay Subangdaku on Monday, November 16, 2020, the first day of the re-implementation of border control.
Although the vehicles were in motion, he said he expects traffic to worsen in the coming days.
“Traffic has monetary costs in terms of higher fuel costs, less response time and lost opportunities. Therefore, it hampers the recovery period for companies from pandemic-related losses, further undermining business confidence, ”Yu said.
The travelers going to Cebu City were mostly workers, he said.
Felix Taguiam, president of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, urged business operators to do everything possible to ensure that their workers, clients and customers are safe and protected from the highly infectious Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019. (COVID-19).
Cause of jams
“There is nothing to be alarmed about yet, as there is no official information that Cebu City is experiencing a second wave. However, the increasing cases of Covid-19 should not be taken lightly as we do not wish to return to a more stringent form of community quarantine, ”he said.
The Mandaue Traffic Control Agency (Team) blamed the re-implementation of strict Cebu City border controls for heavy traffic in some parts of Mandaue City on Monday.
City Manager Jamaal Calipayan, the team’s acting executive director, said the approaches to the border with Cebu City, in the North Recovery Area, at Barangays Subangdaku and Banilad, experienced traffic jams at 6 a.m. and 3 pm
But traffic was normal in the rest of the city, he said.
Calipayán said they also expect a lot of traffic on the two bridges after Lapu-Lapu City also implemented stricter border controls.
On Monday the viaduct and the reversal of the Marcelo Fernan bridge were closed. Vehicles from Mandaue City headed to Barangay Pusok, where the checkpoint at the foot of the bridge is located.
Mario Napule, head of the Lapu-Lapu City Traffic Management System, said they will also set up random checkpoints on the first bridge to inspect quarantine passes and travel passes of drivers and passengers.
However, he said they will loosen border checkpoints during peak hours to avoid traffic congestion.
Traffic was felt not only on the northern border of Cebu City. It also delayed the arrival of buses to the south, stranding many travelers at various stops.
On Monday morning, photos of travelers ignoring social distancing while waiting for a trip in Barangay Bulacao circulated on social media.
The head of the City Transportation Office (CPO), Alma Casimero, said that the traffic in Bulacao and the long lines of passengers at bus stops began at 5:30 a.m. and lasted until noon.
She said the buses were late because they were all forced to stop at the border and were approached by law enforcement officers who screened every passenger to make sure they were running legitimate business in Cebu City and meeting minimum health guidelines.
Mayor Edgardo Labella said trouble was expected on Monday, as it was the first day of the re-implementation of strict border controls.
Warranty
Labella said CPO staff assured her that adjustments will be made to prevent the same traffic situation from happening again.
Casimero asked commuters and motorists to wait and endure heavy traffic while the City implements strict border controls.
On Saturday, November 14, Labella announced that only authorized persons outside the residence (Apor), city workers, and those with legitimate concerns could enter Cebu City.
The mayor saw the need to limit entry after Cebu City recorded new double-digit Covid-19 cases for several days.
The move drew criticism from a member of the legal sector.
In a post on social media, Benjamin Cabrido Jr., an environmental lawyer, noted that the latest Cebu City policy is inconsistent with national policy, which allows the movement of non-Apor people within areas under community quarantine. General Modified (MGCQ).
He said that Section 7 of the Omnibus Guidelines on Community Quarantine Implementation states that “interzonal movement of non-Apor between areas placed under MGCQ for any purpose shall be permitted subject to reasonable regulations imposed by the local government units involved, if there are, and that must be presented to the DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government) ”.
“Unless it is declared in a status superior to MGCQ and GCQ, Cebu City cannot absolutely restrict the entry of non-Apor persons to its jurisdiction without the approval of DILG and / or IATF-MEID (Working Group agency for the management of Emerging Infectious Diseases) ”, he added.
At press time, the mayor had not issued an executive order on the matter. (WORK, JJL, KFD with FVQ)
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