This Week in Metro Manila (June 5 to 11, 2021)

President Rodrigo Duterte announced last May 31 that the National Capital Region (NCR) Plus remains under GCQ from June 1 to 15, 2021. NCR Plus includes Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal [1].

Aside from NCR Plus, other areas under GCQ are the following:

• Abra

• Baguio City

• Batangas

• Cotabato City

• Davao City

• Iligan City

• Isabela

• Kalinga

• Lanao del Sur

• Mountain Province

• Nueva Vizcaya

• Quezon

• Quirino

New 65 e-tap loading kiosks were placed in all LRT-1 stations to improve riders’ and commuters’ safety. The loading kiosks let commuters load their stored value cards (SVC) and Beep Cards, limiting face-to-face interactions at teller booths [2]. In addition, people can use kiosks to buy single journey tickets (SJTs). To load Beep cards using mobile wallet or debit accounts, transfer load using the over-the-air (OTA) loading machines. SVC extender machines are also used to extend expired Beep card’s validity.

The national Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) approved hotels to operate at a 100% capacity for staycations [3]. Also, establishments accredited by the Department of Tourism (DOT) can accommodate up to 100% of its venue capacity.

Regarding guest safety, staycation hotels in GCQ areas should only accept guests from the same household. Guests between 18 to 65 years old are not required to undergo COVID-19 testing.

The IATF also urges the local government units (LGUs) to strictly monitor the establishments’ compliance with the standard health protocols.

Previously, DOT secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat confirmed that over 5,986 rooms are now available for tourists in the NCR Plus bubble.

Shoppers can now use cashless and contactless payment methods in Farmers Market in Quezon City thru GCash. Shoppers can use their Gcash account to scan QR Codes present at the stalls.

The cashless method aims to lessen the spread of the COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila by limiting physical interaction between merchants and buyers. [4]

Those who belong under the A4 priority group category are set to vaccinate starting this June, according to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque in a press briefing last May 31.

The A4 group category includes the following:

• Private sector workers required to report physically to work

• Government agencies’ employees

• Informal sector workers

• Self-employed individuals required to work outside of their homes

• Individuals working in private households

In addition, economic frontliners between 40 to 59 years old will be prioritized in the vaccination rollout. The government will prioritize 13 million workers in NCR Plus, and 22 million workers outside NCR Plus will also be vaccinated subsequently [5].

Visit Yoorekka Consumer Magazine for more guidelines in Metro Manila and COVID-19 updates.