Breaking! President Duterte plans to order lockdown due to COVID-19

In an Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID)/Cabinet Level meeting now presided by Health Secretary Francisco Duque III at Camp Aguinaldo, the Task Force approved a recommendation to declare Code Red Sub Level 2 for President Rodrigo Duterte’s  approval in a meeting to be held 5pm today.

Consequence of Code Red Level 2 declaration: no mass gatherings, work suspension and extension of suspension of classes.

Other specific recommendations still being worked out in an ongoing discussions are:

1. School suspension to continue for additional 4 weeks
2. Strictly no mass gatherings
3. LGU decides on specific localised strict lockdown
4. Work with skeletal force, most work from home
5. NCR lockdown

THE LOCKDOWN
Initiating orders will come from the President and given to a cabinet cluster tasked to undertake the lockdown of the National Capital Region. A multi-agency council headed by a Task Group Commander under the Office of the President, shall be formed to undertake the lockdown order.

The council shall be composed of representatives from the different department mentioned below:

1. Task Group Commander, Office of the President
2. Member, Department of Health
3. Member, Department of Defense
4. Member, Department of Interior and Local Government
5. Member, Department of Social Welfare and Development
6. Member, Department of Agriculture
7. Member, Department of Science and Technology
8. Member, Department of Transportation
9. Member, Department of Justice
10. Member, Department of Public Works and Highways
11. Member, Department of Environment and Natural Resources,

Department of Health.
The DOH shall be the lead agency in the effort to control the COVID-19 local infection.

Department of National Defense.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines will be activated under the Command and Control of the AFP Joint Task Force of the National Capital Region based inside the General Headquarters in Camp Emilio Aguinaldo in Quezon City. This AFP Joint Task Force shall report directly to the Task Group.

The Base Units shall be deployed as follows:

1. Headquarters & Headquarters Service Support Company: Shall continue to provide support to the Headquarters.
2. GHQ K-9 and EOD Companies: Shall standby on command.

The Line Units shall be deployed as follows:

1. Joint Special Operations Group shall serve as a strike force in the enforcement of the lockdown.
2. Joint Task Force NCR – Disaster Rescue & Relief Management Unit shall assist the DSWD with relief operations under the direct control of the DSWD Secretary.
3. Presidential Security Group shall continue in its original function.

The Attached Units shall be deployed as follows:

1. Joint Task Group NCR Land (Philippine Army Component) shall be responsible in the enforcement of the lockdown in the major thoroughfares in the boundaries of the NCR as follows and detailed in Annex A:
   a. Radial Roads:
   i. Radial Road 1 Roxas Boulevard, Manila–Cavite Expressway; City of Manila–Cavite.
   ii. Radial Road 2 Taft Avenue in Manila, Aguinaldo Highway in Dasmariñas; City of Manila–Batangas

iii. Radial Road 3 South Luzon Expressway in Muntinlupa, STAR Tollway, Tanauan City, Batangas; City of Manila–Batangas

iv. Radial Road 4 Kalayaan Avenue in Olympia, Makati, Kalayaan Avenue in Fort Bonifacio, Makati; City of Manila–Rizal

v. Radial Road 5 Shaw Boulevard, Ortigas Avenue Extension in Cainta; City of Manila–Laguna

vi. Radial Road 6 Magsaysay Boulevard, Marikina–Infanta Highway in Marikina; City of Manila–Quezon

vii. Radial Road 7 España Boulevard, Commonwealth Avenue, City of Manila–Bulacan

viii. Radial Road 8 Dimasalang Street, North Luzon Expressway in Balintawak, Quezon City; City of Manila–La Union

ix. Radial Road 9 Rizal Avenue, MacArthur Highway in Pampanga; City of Manila–La Union

x. Radial Road 10 Mel Lopez Boulevard; City of Manila–Bataan

b. Circumferential Roads:

i. Circumferential Road 1 City of Manila

ii. Circumferential Road 2 City of Manila

iii. Circumferential Road 3 Makati-Navotas–Pasay

iv. Circumferential Road 4 Malabon–Pasay

v. Circumferential Road 5 Taguig-Malabon-Parañaque

vi. Circumferential Road 6 Marilao, Bulacan-Bacoor, Cavite

c. Expressway Network:

i. E1 Quezon City to Rosario, La Union

ii. E2 Makati to Batangas City and Muntinlupa to Bacoor

iii. E3 Parañaque to Kawit

iv. E5 Quezon City to Caloocan

v. E6 Parañaque to Pasay

2. Joint Task Group NCR Air (Philippine Air Force Component) shall be responsible in the enforcement of the lockdown in all Airports and Helipads in and around the NCR as follows:

a. Airports:

i. Ninoy Aquino International Airport

1. Terminal 1
2. Terminal 2
3. Terminal 3
4. Terminal 4
5. Cargo Terminal
6. Villamor Air Base
7. General Aviation

ii. Sangley Point Airport

b. Helipads: Annex B

3. Joint Task Group NCR Water (Philippine Navy Component) shall be responsible in the enforcement of the lockdown in all public and private ports in the NCR including Laguna De Bay:

a. Port of Manila
i. North Harbor
ii. South Harbor
iii. Manila International Container Terminal

b. Water Aerodromes

i. Air Juan Manila Harbor Seaplane Terminal
ii. CCP Bay Cruise Terminal

c. Manila Yacht Club

d. Philippine Navy Headquarters

e. Harbor Center Port Terminal Inc.

f. Navotas Fish port

g. BASECO

h. Meycauayan River

i. Pasig River

j. Mangahan Floodway

i. Cainta River

k. Marikina River

l. Laguna De Bay

m. Vicinity of San Isidro River

n. Northwest sector of Laguna De Bay

o. Manila Bay

i. Vicinity of Bacoor Bay
ii. Vicinity of Canacao Bay
iii. Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat
iv. Waterway within the Entertainment City
v. Waterway Beside Microtel by Wyndham south of MOA.
vi. Esplanade Seaside Terminal MOA
vii. Libertad Channel
viii. Tullahan River
ix. Tangos River

4. Armed Forces of the Philippines Medical Center V. Luna, Philippine Naval Hospital, Army General Hospital and The Philippine Air Force General Hospital shall assist the DOH in the testing and treatment of patients.

Department of Interior and Local Government.
The Philippine National Police under the National Capital Region Police Office shall be under the operational control of the Lockdown Task Group Council.

The PNP will be tasked to set up Residential Sectors “RS” in residential areas to enforce lockdown guidelines.

The PNP Highway Patrol Group shall assist Task Group NCR Land (Philippine Army Contingent).

The PNP Maritime Command and its floating assets shall assist Task Group NCR Water (Philippine Navy Contingent).

The PNP General Hospital shall assist in the testing and treatment of patients.
The Bureau of Fire Protection shall take charge in serving as command and control of all City/Municipality Rescue Units that will be utilized under the Lockdown Task Group.

Department of Social Welfare and Development.
A task force from the DSWD shall be formed to manage Food Centers “FC” strategically located in the same RS to ensure that food is readily available to the lockdown population.

Department of Agriculture.
A task force from the DA shall be formed to ensure that there is enough food coming from the countryside to supply the FC strategically located in the RS.

Department of Science and Technology.
A task force from the DOST shall be formed to do round the clock research together with the DOH to produce a vaccine on the COVID-19.

Department of Transportation.
The DOT shall ensure that all public transportation within the NCR are all functioning 24/7 and properly disinfected on a periodic schedule.

The Philippine Coast Guard especially the detachments and coast watch within and around the NCR shall help the Joint Task Group NCR Water (Philippine Navy Contingent).

Department of Justice.
The DOJ shall form a task force that will help the Task Group with matters relating to Justice during the lockdown period and report directly to the Task Group.

Department of Public Works and Highways.
The DPWH shall form a task force that will help the Task Group with matters concerning infrastructure.

Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
The DENR shall form a task force that will deal with matters pertaining to the environment and natural resources during the lockdown period.

Other Government Agencies:
The following government offices shall be under the direct supervision of the Task Force:

1. Office of Civil Defense
2. Metro Manila Development Authority
3. National Intelligence Coordinating Agency
4. Laguna Lake Development Authority  /Report by Stacy Ang