Metro mayors prohibit Christmas parties

Secretary Eduardo Año of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) yesterday announced that while there is already an easing of quarantine measures, Christmas parties are still prohibited in Metro Manila this year.

Parties remain barred under GCQ. NCR mayors have agreed to keep it under GCQ and to ease restrictions only for the economy. We just need to endure for a little longer.

This, as metro mayors agreed to place the entire region under general community quarantine (GCQ) until the end of the year.

Mass gatherings remain barred in GCQ areas under the guidelines of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Año disclosed Metro Manila mayors over the weekend agreed to keep the National Capital Region (NCR) under GCQ until December.

“Parties remain barred under GCQ.

NCR mayors have agreed to keep it under GCQ and to ease restrictions only for the economy. We just need to endure for a little longer,” Año said.

To recall, Metro Manila residents aged 18 to 65 will be allowed outside their homes between 4 a.m. to 12 midnight beginning this week as mayors shortened curfew hours, an official said Monday. The previous curfew in the capital region was from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. The decision was made in a meeting between Metro Manila mayors, IATF members and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.

In an earlier statement, Metro Manila Council (MMC) head and Parañaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez said while other cities have eased on curfews, Navotas City’s curfew will remain from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.

“COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila are decreasing, but we cannot relax so we’re intensifying our minimum health protocols and our critical care in hospitals all over the region,” Olivarez said.

Navotas City Mayor Toby Tiangco, on other hand, said his jurisdiction — which currently has 110 active COVID-19 cases — needs more time before it eases curfew restrictions.

“We’re just keeping it safe. Our restrictions’ end goal is to loosen it later on. But we will loosen up little by little. We don’t want it abruptly and think, for Navotas, it is not yet the time,” Tiangco said in a previous interview.