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Author: DA Communications Group | 4 May 2020<\/p>\nAuthor: DA Communications Group | 4 May 2020<\/p>\n
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The Department of Agriculture (DA), its bureaus, regional field offices, attached agencies, and corporations nationwide are resuming full operations, starting Monday, May 4, 2020, as part of the government\u2019s efforts to gradually phase into the \u201cnew normal,\u201d amid the implementation of enhanced or general community quarantine in the country.<\/p>\n
Agriculture Secretary William Dar has instructed all heads of DA agencies to resume the provision of production, marketing and financial assistance, and other services, in compliance with the \u201cOmnibus guidelines on the implementation of community quarantine in the Philippines,\u201d as endorsed by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) and approved by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, on April 30, 2020, as part of Executive Order No. 112.\u201d<\/p>\n
Actually, the DA family has been working during the entire ECQ period since March 15, whether in the office or from home. But this time, with E0 112, we are shifting to fifth gear to continuously provide needed services to our varied clienteles, most particularly to small farmers and fishers, under the \u2018new normal\u2019 environment,\u201d secretary Dar said.<\/p>\n
He also instructed all DA offices to ensure the unhampered activities and movement of frontliners \u2014 farmers, fisherfolk, workers of agri-fishery processing and manufacturing firms \u2014 along the food value chain, including their respective employees at the central and regional field offices.<\/p>\n
The DA chief added that farm and fishery workers and employees alike will have to abide by the health and safety measures laid down by the IATF under EO 112, entitled \u201cImposing an Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in high-risk geographic areas of the Philippines and a General Community Quarantine (GCQ) in the rest of the country from 01 May to 15 May 2020, adopting the Omnibus Guidelines on the implementation thereof, and for other purposes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThose with health issues, regardless of age, will not be allowed to go back to work. We need to minimize the risk among farmers and fisherfolk, as well as our employees, and avoid becoming part of the COVID-19 statistics,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Under the revised guidelines of the E.O.112, the following high-risk areas are placed under the ECQ, from May 1 to 15, 2020:<\/p>\n
\u2013 National Capital Region
\n\u2013 Central Luzon, except Aurora
\n\u2013 Calabarzon
\n\u2013 Pangasinan \u2013 Benguet, including Baguio City
\n\u2013 Iloilo, including Iloilo City
\n\u2013 Cebu, including Cebu City
\n\u2013 Bacolod City
\n\u2013 Davao City<\/p>\n
All other provinces and cities are placed under the GCQ.<\/p>\n
At present, however, several provinces and cities chose to observe ECQ guidelines, despite having been classified under the GCQ, secretary Dar said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have no problem with LGUs that wish to pursue ECQ, as long as all activities related to agriculture and food production remain unimpeded,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince the start of the Luzon-wide quarantine, we have been appealing to local chief executives to ensure the unhampered movement of all agriculture and fishery stakeholders to ensure continued production and delivery of food to our countrymen, particularly those in highly urbanized areas,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
The DA earlier called for the establishment of so-called \u201cmobility corridors\u201d for the food supply chain players to move with ease, that include personnel of processing, delivery, distribution, and logistics providers.<\/p>\n