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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Belmonte, Gatchalian support NCR bubble set-up

Belmonte, Gatchalian support NCR bubble set-up

Published Mar 23, 2021 05:22 pm

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte and Valenzuela Mayor Rex Gatchalian have both backed the national government's move to place the National Capital Region (NCR) and four other provinces under a general community quarantine (GCQ) bubble, which has been implemented amid the record-breaking daily new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases.

Policemen keep watch at a checkpoint along a road in Quezon City in suburban Manila on March 23, 2021, after authorities implemented stricter social distancing protocols due to an increase of new COVID-19 infections on residents in metro Manila. (Photo by Jam STA ROSA / AFP / MANILA BULLETIN)

"Given the current situation kung saan talagang kailangan natin isalba ang ekonomiya natin (where we really have to save our economy). This is I suppose the best the national government can do at the moment. Short of rendering everybody jobless which would also be a tragedy for our country," Belmonte said Tuesday in a Politiko interview.

Belmonte also praised the reimposition of the liquor ban, as well as the national government's suggestion to wear face masks even inside homes, although she admitted that the latter is hard to implement.

Gatchalian said the "additional NCR+ area is a move towards the right direction given that we're in the boundary area."

In an interview with ANC, Gatchalian said the new quarantine set-up allows the local government to contain the spread of the virus easily because people used to "go easily to Bulacan where the quarantine classification would be lighter than Metro Manila."

"Given that we're now created as one quarantine area for us in the contagious zones where we are in the boundary zones, it makes it a lot easier. We can easily implement a standardized approach," Gatchalian said.

The NCR and the provinces of Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna, and Cavite are placed under the GCQ bubble.

As of March 23, Quezon City has 5,839 actives cases while Valenzuela has at least 749.

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