Solons buck opening of classes in August

The government’s plan to reopen classes on August 24 with or without the availability of an anti-COVID-19 vaccine has sparked debate in the House of Representatives.

Deputy Speaker and Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales Jr. has filed House Resolution No. 876 urging the government to postpone the resumption of classes throughout the country until a vaccine against COVID-19 is developed and made available in the country.

Gonzales proposed that instead of the August re

Alawmaker has called on the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to allow the motorcycle backriding of people belonging to the same household.

“I urge the IATF-EID to strongly consider this proposal to allow people who belong in the same household to backride in motorcycles,” said Misamis Occidental 1st District Cong. Diego “Nonoy” Ty.

The IATF has barred motorcycle backriding to help stop the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID19), but Ty said there’s no reason to worry as the riders are already living under one roof.

“They don’t practice social distancing inside their homes anyway so why stop them from riding a motorcycle together,” the lawmaker added.

Ty pointed out that the policy of preventing people from the same household to backride on motorcycles while allowing two or more people to ride in private cars could be perceived as anti-poor.

The lawmaker suggested that local government units (LGUs), particularly the barangays, formulate mechanisms to ensure that only people belonging to the same household are aboard the motorcycle.

The lawmaker also said that relaxing rules on motorcycle backriding is significant with more people returning back to work.

“As we open the economy, it will help our poor motorcycle-riding kababayans who ride motorbikes to work and to get needed supplies,” said Ty.