As community quarantine begins throughout several cities in the Philippines, some are also taking the extra measure of imposing a curfew.
While we reported about a curfew to be imposed for the entire Metro Manila earlier, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has clarified that the decision to impose one will be left to the local government units (LGUs).
As of this morning, several cities inside the National Capital Region (NCR) have already decided to enact curfews from 8:00 PM to 5:00 AM, beginning this evening.
Not all cities within Metro Manila have decided to do so, though thankfully, a large majority of them are in agreement.
Following the recommendation of the Metro Manila Council, the cities of Caloocan, Las Pinas, Makati, Mandaluyong, Manila, Muntinlupa, Pasay, Pasig, Taguig, Navotas, and Quezon City will be imposing a curfew within their respective boundaries. The curfew in these cities will be implemented starting tonight.
During the curfew, all citizens are prohibited from roaming around and are expected to stay at home. Anyone caught outside of their homes during these hours will be stopped and questioned. Only those with a good reason, such as seeking medical attention, or the like, will be excused.
Depending on the city you are in, violators may face fines, sanctions, or even be charged and face prison time (the latter in the case of Quezon City per Mayor Joy Belmonte’s E.O. No. 20), if without a valid reason for being out.
However, certain people are exempted from the curfew including those going to and from work, those in immediate need of medical attention or emergency medicines, and health workers. People proceeding to and from the airport or pier as shown by their tickets are also exempted.
Outside of Metro Manila, Cebu City has also implemented a curfew. Unlike Metro Manila, however, the curfew in the Queen City of the South will begin every 10:00 PM and will last until 5:00 AM. They will also be closing the city from all incoming domestic flights starting Tuesday, March 17. Meanwhile, all seaports in the city will be shut down to passenger travel.
The curfews implemented in the various city are expected to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus in the country. There are now currently 140 confirmed cases in the Philippines with the death toll at 12.
We'll continue to update this list as we receive news.
