MANKAYAN, Benguet March 19 – The municipal government will be implementing a trial run for total lockdown in the municipality on March 23-24, 2020 to allow the situation to sink into the minds of the residents for them to understand the prevailing situation.
Mayor Frenzel A. Ayong said that at present, the municipal government is implementing a partial lockdown in its boundaries with Cervantes, Ilocos Sur, Tadian, Mountain Province and Buguias, Benguet to allow the uninterrupted entry of food supplies for the residents.
“We continue to aggressively inform our constituents on the present declaration of the President that Luzon is on a state of enhanced community quarantine for them to understand why concerned government agencies and the local government is implementing rules and regulations that restrict the movement of people and compel them to stay at home,” Mayor Ayong stressed.
The municipal chief executive pointed out that the local government already tapped the representatives of concerned government agencies, offices of the municipality, the business sector, barangay officials, barangay tanods, among others to inform them about the prevailing situation in the country triggered by the continuous surge in confirmed COVID-19 cases aggravated by the presence of community transmission.
According to him, the municipal government already converted the first floor of its municipal building as a command center to address concerns needing the attention of local officials by the residents on the restrictions being imposed at these trying times where the understanding and cooperation of the people is highly required.
Ayong started making coordination with the local officials of Cervantes, Ilocos Sur to allow the uninterrupted entry of the supply of rice to Mankayan while the partial lockdown is still being implemented to ensure that local rice dealers and the municipal government will have sufficient supply of the staple food once the total lockdown will be implemented next week.
He added that the municipal government remains open to provide the basic services needed by the people during the present crisis situation but what is being mandated from them is to stay at home in the meantime if they have no important business to do outside their houses considering that limiting the stay of the people in their homes will prevent the virus from thriving and spreading that will create more serious problems for them if they will not cooperate with the stringent regulations.
He emphasized the government is doing its best to ensure the safety of the people from being exposed to the deadly virus and what is being asked from the people is utmost cooperation in their compliance to the enforced policies during the enhanced community quarantine as the same had been identified by experts as crucial to prevent the further spread of the virus.
Ayong expressed his gratitude to the different sectors, barangay officials and other stakeholders, for actively participating in the information and education campaign being conducted by the municipal government to prepare the residents in the barangays for any eventuality in the future, especially the upcoming declaration of a total lockdown in the municipality, so that people can understand the situation that the country is encountering at the moment.
By Hent
