News Roundup 10 May 2020
May 10, 2020 • 3 min Read
Duterte may decide on plan for ECQ areas by Monday, May 11 | PHILSTAR.COM – President Rodrigo Duterte may decide on Monday on the fate of Metro Manila and other coronavirus high-risk areas that are still under enhanced community quarantine or ECQ. The government’s task force on the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 is scheduled to meet to discuss whether to retain or relax the restrictions in ECQ areas after May 15. The ECQ has been extended twice and is supposed to last until May 15. Aside from Metro Manila, other areas that are under ECQ until Friday are Central Luzon except Aurora province, CALABARZON, Pangasinan, Benguet, Albay, Iloilo including Iloilo City, Cebu including Cebu City, Bacolod City, Zamboanga City, and Davao City. “On Monday, we expect the president’s approval on what will happen to us on May 16,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said at a televised press briefing over the weekend.
WATCH: Bike lanes pop up in Pasig City | INQUIRER.NET – After declaring biking as an essential mode of transportation amid the coronavirus lockdown, the Pasig City government is now starting to create bike lanes and extending the sidewalks in some areas in the city. The Pasig City Transportation Department earlier declared biking as an essential mode of transportation in the city through Executive Order 18 series of 2020, allowing bicycle shops and businesses primarily engaged in the repair and maintenance of bicycles to operate amid the lockdown. Departments of the Pasig City government were also ordered to identify locations of key repair shops and to upgrade the city’s bicycle lanes.
Beneficiaries fearful of backlash from barangay officials after complaints | Manila Bulletin – Some beneficiaries supposedly hoodwinked by rogue barangay officials of their cash grants under the social amelioration program (SAP) fear being harassed if they air their grievances. Darwin Santos from a town in Bulacan said getting less than the lawful cash aid of P6,500 under the SAP is better than nothing. His fear further worsened when reports disclosed that a few who complained were jailed after airing their gripes. Santos, an admitted reformed illegal drug user, says he knows too well that trumped up charges may easily be filed against him considering his past lawless activities. The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Sunday admitted receiving reports from the ground that some residents were arrested and jailed after raising their concerns in numerous social media posts about the SAP cash aid distribution irregularities in their barangays.
CBCP calls for resumption of ABS-CBN operations | The Manila Times – The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) weighed in on the ABS-CBN Corp. issue, saying it should be allowed to resume regular operations for the sake of its employees and the public. Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles, CBCP president, said the suspension of the network’s operations affected more than 11,000 employees and their families, and it might lead to the workers’ permanent job displacement. Valles also said he hoped “that the media giant may be allowed to resume its broadcast the soonest to the benefit of our people.” During this health crisis, people need information more than ever, Valles said.
