Cebu guv to downgrade Talisay status to GCQ

Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia is set to use her powers to lift Talisay City’s modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) status, which was reimposed last June 15. 

Talisay is the only local government unit in Cebu province that was reverted back to MECQ by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF-MEID). 

“We referred this yesterday to Usec. (Epomaco) Densing and I pointed this out, that after all the provincial governor is authorized to impose or lift ECQ amongst component cities and municipalities and he agreed. Usec. Densing agreed that we do have this power,” Garcia said in a statement published by Sugbo News.

Garcia met with local mayors, members of the Provincial Board, Cebu legislators, heads of concerned government agencies and members of the regional IATF, including its co-chair, Department of Health-7 Director Jaime Bernadas to discuss the quarantine status of Cebu. 

The provincial mayors agreed with her plan to lift Talisay's MECQ status. 

The governor will forward her Executive Order to the regional IATF for their approval. She said the EO is set to take effect on Friday, June 19. Under the IATF decision, Talisay’s second MECQ will remain in effect up to June 30. 

Garcia said if Talisay will remain under MECQ she will be forced to find a new bus terminal for those traveling to and from the south of Cebu. The province’s south bus terminal has been temporarily moved from Cebu City to Talisay’s Barangay Tangke. 

For his part, Talisay City Mayor Samsam Gullas said in an interview with Advocates that although the Covid-19 cases in his city are rising his people should “not stay scared forever.” 

He said that once they revert to GCQ status he will deploy more military and police personnel to areas with high covid cases like barangays Tangke, San Roque and Cansojong.