GRADUAL ECQ LIFTING. Mayor Jerry Treñas says he tapped university professors for a study on the gradual lifting of the enhanced community quarantine in Iloilo City. During Monday’s (April 20, 2020) press conference, he said a draft copy has been sent to various sectors for their recommendations and inputs. (PNA photo by Arnold Almacen/City Mayor’s Office)
ILOILO CITY – The city government here has tapped the assistance of professors from the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) for a study on the gradual lifting of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) here.
During Monday’s regular press conference, City Mayor Jerry Treñas presented the 18-page working draft of the study on “Gradual Easing of Enhanced Community Quarantine Scheme in Iloilo City: Inputs to the Lockdown Exit Plan”.
He also submitted a copy of the study to Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, and Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado for their recommendations.
“We have to get suggestions and recommendations of everyone so that we come up with a gradual easing of the ECQ that is well-studied,” he said in a press conference.
A copy was also sent to the mayor’s friends in Manila who said it was the first time that they saw a study coming from a local government unit.
Treñas said the people behind the study include Dr. Ma. Elisa Baliao, Dr. Rhodelia Ibabao, Dr. Vicente Balinas, Hanny John Mediodia, Cristabel Parcon and Juhn Chris Espia as members.
The draft copy was also shared with local chief executives (LCEs), and regional directors of regional line agencies of national government agencies.
“This is not the scheme that should be applied in all LGUs but at least it gives us a certain model that can be followed,” he added.
Over the weekend, Treñas signed Executive Order Number 065 creating the Iloilo City Covid-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) Ad-Hoc Transition Committee that will formulate and prescribe policies for the gradual lifting of the ECQ.
“There is a need to create an Ad-Hoc Committee to prepare specific protocols for the gradual lifting of the ECQ in Iloilo City to protect the economic, financial and societal re-integration of everyone affected by the Covid-19 in Iloilo City,” the EO states.
The committee is chaired by Covid-19 focal person Dr. Roland Jay Fortuna with representatives from various private and business sectors in the city.
The committee will be calling on the different sectors for their inputs and suggestions, the mayor said.
“We need all the recommendations that we can get,” he said.
Meanwhile, as the city gears for the gradual opening, it continues to talk with medical experts to strengthen its measures against the dreaded disease.
On Monday, Treñas talked with officials of the West Visayas State University Medical Center (WVSUMC) as the local government plans to capacitate its laboratory to get an accreditation to undertake testing.
He said the only sub-national laboratory in Western Visayas, which is the Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC), has a turn-around time of seven to eight days.
He said the period is already “very long”.
The patient may have already infected a lot of other patients before the result is known, he added.
Last week, Treñas also announced the plan of the city government to have its own 40-footer container van laboratory, which is equipped with medical equipment and medicines.
The local government has consulted with the Department of Health (DOH) if the mobile laboratory can get an accreditation from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM).
If doable, the city government will use a portion of its PHP94-million one-month Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) to purchase the laboratory van, which costs around PHP14 million.
The mayor also wanted to determine the cost of a respirator because there are only 83 available units in Panay.
SM donated one unit, bringing the available units to 84.
He said they could probably lease three or four more units to add to the capacity. (PNA)
