Magalong observes smooth transition to GCQ in Baguio City

BAGUIO CITY — Mayor Benjamin Magalong reported the smooth transition of this city from enhanced to general community quarantine (GCQ).

Magalong said that, based on reports from offices overseeing the different affected sectors, residents were generally disciplined on the first day of GCQ last May 16.

Baguio City Police Office Director Police Col. Allen Rae Co said that while a substantial number of people went out on Monday and Tuesday – the first two working days under GCQ – these were commensurate to the increase in the number of industries and businesses that were allowed to re-open.

“And to think that it was the first day, people were naturally excited but still today’s crowd turnout was still a far cry from how it was before COVID19 (coronavirus disease 2019) came, and from what is now being experienced in other places,” Co said.

He said there were lapses observed, but these were minor and were expected as people were still adjusting to the new rules.

At Session Road, for instance, the pedestrian traffic flow along the sidewalk was streamlined to facilitate physical distancing, but a lot was observed to have ignored the oneway rule as most of them were still unaware of it.

They were just issued warnings and educated on the new rules but in the coming days, people should expect stricter monitoring and law enforcement as directed

Co estimated that around 50 to 60 percent of the city’s workforce returned to work on Monday,while City Permits and Licensing Division Head Allan Abayao said 81 percent of businesses reopened, composed mostly of retail and manufacturing industries.

Abayao said their monitoring revealed satisfactory compliance with the rules.