This Week in Metro Manila (March 21 to 28, 2020)

Metro Manila will remain humid and sunny all week. The skies will be cloudy on most days, but the atmosphere and air around the area will be dry. Thunderstorms are less likely to occur, but light showers may be expected during afternoons [1]. Since Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon are currently under enhanced quarantine, people have to stay inside unless necessary. Stay hydrated during warm days.

Public mass transportation such as buses, taxis, trains, raid-hailing apps, UV Express, motorcycle taxis, and jeepneys have ceased operations in Luzon due to the declaration of the enhanced community quarantine. The suspension is made to keep people at home. People can go outside to buy necessities, but only one person per household is allowed outside.

Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) head Karlo Nograles also stated that there will be a suspension of air and sea travels. Nograles further mentioned that the travel ban will only exempt front-liners such as medical professionals, security forces, and the media [2].

In keeping with the quarantine, major malls announced temporary closures in Metro Manila. While the malls will close, supermarkets, drug stores,convenience stores, banks, and other essentials within them will still be open to the public [3].

The status of malls are listed below:

• Araneta City Malls: All malls and Farmers Plaza are temporarily closed

• Ayala Malls: All malls temporarily closed

• Bonifacio Global City Malls: All malls are closed but there will be select restaurants open for delivery.

• Greenhills Mall: Greenhills Mall is closed. However, the following stores within it will be open: UniMart, Mercury Drug stores, Watsons, Chinabank, HSBC, and RCBC.

• Robinsons Malls: All malls temporarily closed

• Robinsons Bank, Southstar Drug, Robinsons Supermarket, Ministop, Handyman, and other drug stores and banks will continue operating.

• Powerplant Mall: Mall will be closed but key establishments will remain open. Strictly no dine-in in food and beverages establishments.

• SM SuperMalls: All malls are closed, but key establishments will remain open. Select restaurants have take out or home deliveries from 11:00AM to 7:00PM

• StarMall: Malls are closed but AllDay supermarket branches will be open from 8:00AM to 7:00PM. AllHome stores will operate from 10:00AM to 7:00PM

• Vista Malls: Malls are closed

• AllDay Supermarket and AllHome stores follow the same operating hours with those in Starmall.

GrabFood and FoodPanda will resume their food delivery services in Manila. The two food delivery companies will continue to provide their services during the month-long lockdown. Safety measures will be implemented per delivery such as providing hand sanitizers and masks to all riders. Customers are also encouraged to use online payment modes to reduce physical contact [4]. The two food delivery companies briefly halted their food delivery services following the announcement of the enhanced quarantine.

Bill payments for electricity, mobile plans, and other utilities will be postponed for 30 days. After President Rodrigo Duterte’s appeal to business owners, the deadline of bill payments will be extended until the end of the quarantine period [5].

Utilities businesses that complied to payment extension are as follows:

• Meralco

• Maynilad

• Globe

• PLDT

• Smart

• Sun

• Sky Cable

• Cignal TV

• Eastwest bank

• RCBC bankard

Amid the Luzon-wide quarantine, the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases has allowed “all persons, regardless of nationality” to enter and leave the country at any time [6]. Filipino tourists, however, are not included in this rule. Passengers from abroad will have to undergo strict immigration and quarantine protocols when they enter the country.

Meanwhile, those from Iran and Italy—two countries with high cases of COVID-19—will have to present a certificate of good health before they are allowed to enter. In addition to that, “sweeper flights for foreign nationals to bring them to airports will be allowed to continue operations,” according to the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA).

Passengers of outbound flights can only be accompanied to the airport by one person, and the latter must leave as soon as the drop-off is done.

Go to Yoorekka to get the latest updates on nCov news in Metro Manila.