MMC to endorse MGCQ in NCR – Tiangco

BY JOSEPH PEDRAJAS

Majority of Metro Manila mayors want to place the National Capital Region (NCR) under the least restrictive modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) starting March, Navotas City Mayor Toby Tiangco said Thursday.

According to Tiangco, nine out of 17 Metro Manila mayors already wanted to shift to MGCQ.

“Kakatapos lang ng botohan, ‘yung nanalo is MGCQ,” Tiangco said over DZBB interview Thursday noon.

On the other hand, Tiangco said, four of the remaining eight mayors preferred to retain the GCQ status, although they already gave those 15 to 65 years old the permission to go outside their houses.

The other four mayors, meanwhile, not only wanted to retain the GCQ status but also to keep the current policy allowing only those 18 to 65 years old outside.

The result of the voting will be the official position of the Metro Manila Council (MMC) with regard to next month’s quarantine status, he added.

As much as he wanted to retain Navotas’ GCQ status, Tiangco said, Metro mayors should have a collective decision that will be based on the majority’s vote as it would be hard for them to impose different restrictions in just one region.

“I cannot impose quarantine status that is different from other Metro Manila cities because we have no defined boundaries. This is not like when going to provinces, where you can limit the entry of the people. Here in Metro Manila, you can just simply jump to other city, which already has other quarantine rule,” Tiangco said in Filipino.

Tiangco said the Metro mayors did not give explanations regarding their votes, but reviving the economy was a point of concern during their meeting with economic managers.