LGUs to implement granular lockdowns in 'critical areas' – Año

The power to implement granular lockdowns on streets and small communities hit with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) under the "critical zones" parameters will be delegated to local government units (LGUs), Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said on Monday, Sept. 13.

“Mas mainam ang ganitong sistema dahil mas alam ng ating mga pinunong local ang mas angkop at epektibong

hakbang para sa kanilang nasasakupan (This system is better because our local leaders know the more appropriate and effective measures for their constituents),” said Año during the Go Negosyo’s Town Hall meeting on Monday.

He said they will also reduce the granular lockdown in areas so that the economy will not be too much affected.

Año also asked the help of the business and private sectors in implementing the prevent, detect, isolate, treat, and reintegrate + vaccinate (PDITR+V) strategy within their establishment to monitor the health status of the employees to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Año is also seeking to re-institutionalize the appointment of health marshals or officers in offices and workplaces to monitor and protect the health of employees.

“Always enforce health safety protocols, implement a national action plan, augment the capacity of hospitals, quarantine or isolation facilities and vaccination sites, and immunization efforts so that we can finally put an end to the pandemic,” he added.

‘Counter-intuitive’

In a statement issued Monday, former Vice President Jejomar Binay slammed the national government's “granular lockdown experiment in Metro Manila,” describing the policy as “counter-intuitive.”

Binay said in other countries, granular lockdowns are imposed only when cases are low.

“We are experiencing a surge, and experts say the proper strategy is to contain the virus, which means restricting movements for a certain period. The granular lockdown experiment is not only counterintuitive. It defies common sense,” Binay said.

The pilot testing for the national government's new COVID-19 response scheme in the National Capital Region (NCR) will be from Sept. 16 - 30, 2021. The new policy includes the implementation of granular lockdowns and an alert level system.

Binay also questioned the effectiveness of the granular lockdown given the current number of COVID19 cases in the country.

“Experts agree that the current surge in COVID cases is higher and deadlier than April last year. Even the Department of Health (DOH) projects the number of active cases to reach 30,000 by the end of September,” he said.

“Yet, despite the surge, the national government is determined to push through with its granular lockdown experiment in Metro Manila. Sabi nila, effective daw ito. Pero paano naging effective kung ngayon pa lang gagawin? (They said it’s effective. But how is it effective when it is only being implemented now?),” he added.

OCTA Research fellow Dr. Guido David, in a Twitter post last Sept. 4, said “granular lockdowns in the face of a massive surge have not been effective.”

Binay said the national government is being “unfair to local governments of Metro Manila” which will declare which areas will be placed under granular lockdown.

“Pagod na ang mayors at ang frontliners pero ipapasa sa kanila ng national government ang problema (The mayors and frontliners are already tired, but the national government will still pass the problem onto them),” he said.

“The national government is not only passing the burden of containing the spread of the virus and providing ayuda (aid) to their constituents to the LGUs. By making the LGUs take the lead, the national government can now wash its hands of any blame for possible lapses or missteps. Yan ang tinatawag sa kalye na iwas-pusoy (In street lingo that is called avoiding something),” he added.(With a report from Noreen A. Jazul)