Photo by Pilar Braga
MAYOR Sara Duterte has extended the ban on non-essential face-to-face events organized by the barangays, local, and national government offices until Sept. 12, 2022, to help slow down the COVID-19 transmission in the city.
Duterte signed Executive Order (EO) No. 69 Series of 2021, otherwise known as “An Order Extending Until September 12, 2022, The Regulations On All Barangay, Local, And National Government Office Events Including Government-Owned and Controlled Corporation Events” on December 28, 2022.
“There is a need to continue implementing existing protocols specifically to prevent mass gatherings following the emergence of new COVID-19 variants, particularly the Delta and Omicron variants,” the mayor said in her EO.
The ban, according to her, has been extended until the end of the State Calamity in the country on September 12, 2022, as stated in the Presidential Proclamation 1218 series of 2021.
EO 69 applies to all barangay, local, and national government offices, agencies, and instrumentalities, including government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs).
The order prohibits all events such as inauguration, anniversary, thanksgiving, ribbon-cutting, blessing, turnover, groundbreaking activity, launching a program, salo-salo, birthday, press conference, oath-taking program, photo opportunity, retirement honors, welcome honors, testimonial program, summer outing, team building, and all other similar activities.
All face-to-face non-emergency essential government activities including training and seminars are also suspended until Sept. 12, 2022, and only allowed via online platforms only.
Offices, however, may apply for exemption from the coverage of this section through a letter addressed to the City Mayor’s Office and must include a comprehensive plan on how to execute their non-emergency essential activity without creating a mass gathering situation.
The Order, however, exempts all disaster and emergency activities including the distribution of financial, food, and non-food items are allowed.
But the distribution of food and non-food items that are not related to a disaster or emergency event should be distributed house to house in the form of contactless delivery by the organizer or in a distribution system where no mass gathering is conducted.
These activities include but are not limited to the distribution of livelihood kits, information materials, distribution of government aid, community pantry, food aid, and all other similar activities.
