By John Clifford Lintao
CONSISTENT with easing restrictions on the age bracket of people who may get out of their homes, the government has also made a radical reduction on the curfew hours in Metro Manila.
From seven hours, Metro Manila residents would have a four-hour curfew, says Metro Manila Council president Edwin Olivarez.
Olivarez cited the gradual ease of restrictions less than two weeks before the expiry of current quarantine classifications as the basis of the local chief executives in adopting the idea of a shortened curfew hours in the national capital region.
According to Olivarez, who is also the incumbent mayor of Parañaque City, the shorter curfew hours were agreed by local chiefs during a meeting Sunday night.
“Pinagkasunduan po natin na ang recommendation po natin sa IATF ng MMC na iklian po ang curfew sa Metro Manila from 12 to 4 na po siya ng umaga,” he was quoted as saying in a radio interview.
Metro Manila is currently under general community quarantine or GCQ, which is two notches away from the full easing of COVID-19 restrictions. Businesses, public transport, dine-in services, and even staycations are allowed in the capital region as of October.
Recently, Metro Manila has seen a downward trend in COVID-19 infections and is no longer the top Philippine area when it comes to having the highest number of cases.