President Rodrigo R. Duterte has announced Tuesday night the new classifications for the different areas in the Philippines effective July 1 to 15.
Cebu City which has been called by the President as the “COVID-19 hotspot” will remain under Enhanced Community Quarantine. NCR together with Benguet, Cavite, Rizal, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, Leyte, Ormoc, Southern Leyte, Talisay City, and the town of Minglanilla and Consolacion in Cebu Province are under General Community Quarantine. Areas under Modified GCQ with a strict local system are Abra, Baguio City, Ifugao, Kalinga, Ilocos Norte, La Union, Pangasinan, Cagayan, Isabela, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Angeles City, Batangas, Laguna, Quezon, Lucena City, Palawan, Puerto Princesa City, Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Naga City, Capiz, Iloilo, Iloilo City, Negros Occidental, Bacolod City, Cebu Province, Bohol, Negros Oriental, Tacloban City, Western Samar, Zamboanga City, Zamboanga Del Sur, Bukidnon, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Cagayan de Oro, Davao Del Norte, Davao Del Sur, Davao City, Davao De Oro, Cotabato, South Cotabato, Agusan Del Norte, Butuan City, Lanao Del Sur and Maguindanao.
Meanwhile, areas not mentioned above are considered as low-risk areas and are under a lower kind of MGCQ.
According to President Duterte, the public still needs to follow the minimum health standards especially in Cebu.
“Kaya huwag ninyo akong magalit-galit kayo sa akin (Don’t be mad at me). Look, I am here to run government. I’m not here to stay forever. As a matter of fact, I am on my last two years. God, you better shape up. You know Manila and its environs maraming tao (it is crowded). But because sumunod sila (they abided by the rules), with few violations thereabout, we here in Manila had a good chance of at least avoiding it.” – Report from Mela Lesmoras
