CEBU CITY – Cebu Provincial Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, in a published report in a local daily on Saturday said he planned to dismantle all checkpoints and border control in the province by June 12, in time for the national independence day celebration.
The lady governor announced this plan during a meeting with local government officials in the province as a way to dramatize the Sugbuanon’s passage to the “new normal” and return back the livelihood to the people. Her decision to eventually get rid of street obstructions is a response to the increasing complaints of her constituents and the business sector of the difficulty of transporting goods and services, and mobility of workers once the quarantine is lifted.
“Let us remember that we are living in the context of democracy and in the context of our oath. I am saying this on, because in the province of Cebu there should be no more borders, no more border controls,” Garcia said.
The governor lamented on the grave ill effects of Covid-19 pandemic on individual freedoms and on the economy of the province.
“We’ve had from March 30 or even earlier months of seeing this. Taking away freedom of people with the context of protecting them. Their freedom is curtailed,” she further said.
She also planned to cease restrictions of the movement of workers and employees everywhere in the province by June 3. They should, however, show their company identification card or certificate of employment and strictly observe the required health protocols.
With this in mind, Governor Garcia said that she would appeal to the national Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) to put the province under the modified general quarantine (MGCQ). As of June 1, the province has been classified under GCQ by IATF as announced by President Rodrigo Duterte himself.
