Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. on Tuesday, April 6, issued a memorandum on the strict enforcement of prohibition on social and public gatherings in barangays.
The memorandum enjoined the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) director, municipal and city chiefs of police, local task forces, and punong barangays in the province to strictly enforce health protocols and community quarantine measures.
“Strictly enforce the prohibition on social and public gatherings such as birthday party, fiesta thanksgiving feast, wedding reception, baptismal banquet, anniversary celebration, and other similar social gatherings at the barangay level,” the memorandum stated.
All local task forces, through the Philippine National Police (PNP) Barangay COVID Defense (BaCod)-Patrolya ng Bayan-Barangay Enforcement Team (PnN-BET), are directed to “conduct information operations at the barangay level through the punong barangays that social gatherings are prohibited.”
But celebrations at the household level, according the memorandum “are encouraged, limited only to immediate members of the family and other household residents.”
The task forces are also ordered to “monitor the schedule of barangay fiestas and to personally deliver a copy of the memorandum to the punong barangays at least five days before the day of the fiesta.”
“This to remind barangay residents to limit fiesta thanksgiving celebrations to immediate members of the family and other household residents,” the memorandum said.
The entire province of Iloilo is currently under the least restrictive modified general community quarantine (MGCQ).
It has 5,531 confirmed cases of COVID-19, of which 4,901 have recovered, 146 have died, and 484 are considered active.IMT
