Baguio GCQ General Guidelines

GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR THE CITY OF BAGUIO WHILE IT IS UNDER GENERAL COMMUNITY QUARANTINE

SECTION 1. GENERAL RULES TO MAINTAIN MINIMUM PUBLIC HEALTH STANDARDS. In accordance with the Omnibus Guidelines on the Implementation of Community Quarantine in the Philippines (as of 21 January 2021), and all other pertinent issuances relative thereto, the following general rules shall be applied during this period of GCQ:

A. All persons within the City of Baguio shall wear face masks, and have on hand their face shields, at all times whenever they leave their residences, and shall strictly observe social/physical distancing. For purposes of this Order, social/physical distancing shall mean the maintenance of a physical distance of at least one (1) meter radius between persons at any given time. Face shields shall be worn as an additional layer of protection over face masks, except when the same tends to hamper, cause hazard, or impede movement or vision of the wearer while in the conduct of work or during physical fitness activities;

B. All persons below the age of fifteen (15) or over the age of sixty-five (65) shall stay in their residences at all times, except when it shall be necessary to avail of essential goods or services, work in permitted industries, seek medical attention or consultation, or participate in permitted activities. For these exceptions, the following rules shall apply:

i. Minors below the age of fifteen (15) shall who shall leave the home to avail of essential services, or attend permitted activities, must be accompanied by parents or guardians at all times. They shall not be allowed to enter enclosed crowded spaces such as groceries, markets, supermarkets, cinemas, and other similar premises where the number of persons exceeds more than 30% of the venue capacity at any given time;

ii. Employees who are immunocompromised, pregnant, or over the age of sixty-five (65) may not be assigned to client facing tasks and duties, and shall be prioritized to avail of alternate work arrangements;

C. A general curfew for the hours of 10:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. the following morning shall be imposed on all persons in the city, except those working in frontline services, and permitted industries and businesses which require operations beyond the curfew such as medical services, uniformed personnel on duty, security services, BPOs, and export oriented industries;

D. Pharmacies, grocery stores, and other retail establishments for medicine, food, and other essential commodities may be allowed to operate 24/7, provided, restaurants, fast-food establishments, and eateries that choose to operate during curfew hours shall continue to do so for take-out or delivery services only;

E. There shall be temporary ban on the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages and liquor from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m. the following morning. Where the consumption of alcoholic beverages is incidental to dining in duly inspected food and beverage retail establishments, the maximum quantity thereof that may be served shall be as follows:

i. For beer, wine, or cocktails: a maximum of four (4) individual servings per diner;

ii. For liquor and distilled spirits: a maximum of two (2) bottles per table shared by two (2) or more people where the volume of the beverage does not exceed one (1) liter; or a maximum of one (1) bottle per shared table of two (2) or more people where the volume thereof exceeds one (1) liter. Neither shall be served for any individual diner;

SECTION 2. GENERAL RESTRICTIONS FOR BORDER MANAGEMENT. The PNP-Baguio City Police Office, shall maintain checkpoint stations on major entry points to Baguio City for the duration of the GCQ, in accordance with the following rules:

A. Authorized Persons Outside of Residence (APOR) travelling for authorized, official, or work related purposes shall be allowed entry, subject to triage protocols and documentary requirements stated in https://hdf.baguio.gov.ph/, or in Advisories that may be issued to have suppletory effect hereto;

B. Tourism and leisure travel shall be limited to residents, and non-residents who have duly registered with http://visita.baguio.gov.ph/;

C. Residents of the municipalities of La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba, and Tublay shall be allowed to enter the city to avail of essential goods and services upon the presentation of valid Medical Certificate/Medical Clearance in accordance with the BLISTT Joint Advisory issued on 26 January 2021;

D. Non-APORs may enter the City, provided, they are able to present a valid Joint Task Force Shield Travel Authority duly issued in their place of origin, and they subject themselves for assessment at the City's designated Triage Units;

SECTION 3. PERMITTED INDUSTRIES AND ACTIVITIES. Rules and guidelines for work arrangements in public and private offices, and permitted activities in the City are as follows:

A. Work in government offices may be at full operational capacity, but Heads of Office may adopt alternative work arrangements as may be deemed proper in accordance with relevant rules and regulations of the Civil Service Commission;

B. All industries that were permitted to operate during Modified General Community Quarantine may continue to do so at full operational capacity, though subject to the prerogative of management to adopt alternative work arrangements in accordance with relevant rules and regulations of the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Labor and Employment;

C. The following industries shall have limited operations, which may be revised according to the given space or floor area of the establishments' premises, as follows:

i. Food and beverage retails establishments with dine-in services such as restaurants, cafes, eateries, fast-food establishments, canteens, and the like: maximum of 75% of seating capacity at any given time;

ii. Gyms, salons, spas, personal care establishments: maximum of 75% of the premises capacity at any given time;

iii. Tourism and hospitality related businesses, including hotels, inns, and other accommodation establishments:

a. Maximum of 50% of accommodation capacity for checked-in guests;

b. Maximum of 75% for ancillary services such as restaurants, cafes, canteens, eateries, gyms, salons, spas, and other personal care establishments;

c. Maximum of 30% of venue capacity for events, functions, permitted social gatherings, and similar activities;

D. All public and private construction projects shall be allowed, but with strict compliance to the construction safety guidelines issued by the Department of Public Works and Highways for the implementation of infrastructure projects during the COVID-19 pandemic;

E. Kid amusement industries, as well as bars, night clubs, and other establishments where the primary business is the sale and service of liquor and other alcoholic beverages shall not be allowed to operate during GCQ;

F. All offices, work places, stores, shops, establishments, including those within malls and shopping centers, shall exercise utmost hygiene and sanitation, continuous disinfection of high traffic and high touch contact areas, and shall implement such other advisories as prescribed by the DOH, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and the City Health Services Office (HSO).

G. Failure or refusal to comply with prescribed standards in the immediate preceding paragraphs may be a ground for closure, or revocation of business permits, and the imposition of fines, where applicable;

H. Indoor and outdoor non-contact sports and other forms of physical fitness and exercise such as but not limited to walking, jogging, running, biking, golf, swimming, tennis, badminton, equestrian, range shooting, diving, and skateboarding are allowed. Provided, that minimum public health standards such as the wearing of masks, maintenance of social distancing protocols, and no sharing of equipment where applicable, are observed. Provided further, that operations of the relevant clubhouses or similar establishments, if any, shall be limited to basic operations and restaurants and cafes therein are hereby allowed to operate at a maximum of 75% of the venue capacity, provided, that such establishments are compliant with the prescribed minimum public health standards. The conduct and regulations applicable to these activities shall be included in Advisories to be released by the City Sports Office under the Office of the City Administrator. Spectators in all sports and activities shall be prohibited;

I. Face-to-face or in person classes may be conducted in Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) provided that there is strict compliance with minimum health standards, consultation with local government units, and compliance with guidelines set by the Commission on Higher Education. HEI activities that involve mass gatherings of students shall continue to be prohibited;

J. For K-12 Basic Education, the Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan of the Department of Education shall be adopted;

K. For technical vocational education and training (TVET) of the Technical Educational and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), the following trainings and assessments may be conducted or provided by Technical Vocational Institutions (TVIs) and TESDA Technology Institutions (TTIs) subject to compliance with TESDA Guidelines and minimum public health standards:

i. Full online/E-learning trainings;

ii. All training programs related to agriculture/fishery qualifications for food production and processing, domestic work, and other TVET qualifications as may be allowed by the DTI;

iii. Distance Learning for TVET programs;

iv. E-learning component of Blended Learning for TVET programs;

v. Dual Training System, Enterprise-Based Training, and In-Plant Training in establishments allowed to operate under GCQ, and vi.

vi. Virtual Assessment and Portfolio Assessment through electronic means for certain TVET qualifications;

vii. Face-to-face competency assessment for domestic work, caregiver and housekeeping qualifications, ship's catering, and such other TVET qualifications as may be allowed by DTI up to 50% assessment site capacity, provided there is strict compliance with minimum public health standards, TESDA Guidelines and consultation with local government units

L. Where physical presence or participation is indispensable, gatherings that are for the provision of critical government services and authorized humanitarian activities, or which are pursuant to official functions of any government agency, office, or instrumentality, or any cooperative, may be allowed, with strict adherence to prescribed minimum public health standards, provided, the number of attendees shall not exceed 30% of the venue's seating capacity at any given time;

M. Social gatherings to celebrate or commemorate personal or family milestones such as birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, gatherings to mourn departed loved ones, other non-work related gatherings held in hotels, conference halls, convention venues, and the other similar premises shall be allowed at a maximum of 30% of the venue's seating capacity, and provided, the same is inspected prior to the event or activity by personnel of the City Health Services Office, and approval is secured from the Office of the City Mayor;

N. Similar activities shall be allowed within the residence, provided, that all the attendees are members of the immediate family, and prior notice is given to barangay officials. In no case shall the attendees exceed 10 persons at any given time;

O. Religious services and gatherings shall be allowed at a maximum of 30% of the venue's seating capacity, provided, there is no objection from the local government unit where the services or gatherings are conducted;

P. Those activities not specifically stated herein shall be addressed in issuances and advisories to be released in suppletory effect hereto;

SECTION 4. GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR THE TRANSPORT SECTOR. The following general guidelines shall be applied in the operation of the transport sector during the period of MGCQ, to wit:

A. Pending further guidelines from the Department of Transportation (DOTR), arrangements for mass public transportation between local government units and quarantine zones shall undergo further deliberations and consultations with concerned bus operators. Approved operation plans shall be stated in advisories to be released subsequent hereto;

B. Carriage and passenger arrangements of public utility jeepney (PUJs) and taxi shall be subject to strict health standards, and DOTR Guidelines for Public Transport Operations under MGCQ, to wit:

1. PUJ operators and taxi drivers shall install non-permeable transparent physical barriers between drivers and passengers;

2. Only one passenger is allowed at the front seating area;

3. Operators must adopt a "No Mask, No Shield, No Ride" policy for all passengers, and shall institute measures to mitigate the spread of the virus such as the provision of hand sanitizers and similar disinfectants that are made readily available inside the vehicle, and utilization of a non-contact fare payment system;

C. Travel routes and coding schemes for PUJs, Taxi Units, and private vehicles shall be according to official Advisories to be released in suppletory effect hereto;

SECTION 5. ENFORCEMENT AND ASSISTANCE. The Baguio City Police Office, the Health Services Office, the Permits and Licensing Division, and the Public Order and Safety Division are empowered to ensure that the implementation of this Order is carried out with utmost consideration for the order, safety, and security of all persons involved. The Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams may be called upon to assist in monitoring compliance with health standards as prescribed herein and in succeeding official Advisories;