More than one week after Mindanao was placed under the modified general community quarantine, local government units are coming to terms that the island will eventually open most of its borders. It will be just a matter of time.
Many cities and provinces have begun to accept returning Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and locally stranded individuals. Quite a handful of these returning Mindanao residents have been found to be infected with the corona virus.
Some cities and provinces have already allowed free movement of their residents and permitted travel within their region, albeit on a limited scale.
Apprehensions, however, still pervade among local chief executives.
Many regional inter-agency task forces (RIATF) continue to implement strict controls making border crossing among and in between regions very difficult, with no public transport allowed to travel beyond regional routes. Some even do not allow inter-province public transport even within the region.
Sarangani Gov. Steve Solon, for one, is adamant in his stand not to allow “human traffic” from Davao City and other places in the Davao Region which his province shares border with.
“Borders still close to human traffic,” he said in a text reply when asked if travelers from Davao City will be allowed to cross its border and pass through the province.
The governor said the continuing restrictions are based on the still prevailing national pandemic and the country is still under quarantine.
Solon likewise cited “local autonomy to protect public health.”
By order of the national IATF, air travels have also been limited to mercy or sweeper flights bringing home stranded OFWs and LSIs.
Several airlines, who announced resumption of operations beginning June 1, were rebuffed by the Civil Aviation Authority in the Philippines which issued advisories that commercial flight are still suspended until further notice.
But many have already bought or rebooked their flights, hoping to get out of Manila and Cebu where these Mindanao residents are stranded since the start of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in March, adding more misery to displaced Mindanao residents.
If anything, local government units have also been forced to purchase equipment and supplies that otherwise they would not have thought they could under normal circumstances.
Mindanao now has 5 operational testing laboratories with South Cotabato and General Santos City soon to add one modular testing lab each.
These have somehow boosted the confidence of local chief executives in handling the spread of COVID-19 infection as the island begins to open up.
But the growing impatience of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte almost sums up the general state of preparedness of local chief executives in Mindanao.
Mayor Sara has been wanting to ease up travel and movement in Davao region but many local executives are still adamant and are refusing to relax measures and requirements for traveling residents.
As much as local executives are willing to extend the lockdowns and other strict community quarantine measures to protect their own territories, pressures ranging from their own resource limitations and growing anxiety of residents who have been kept out of work have forced them face the inevitability.
Either they open up or the face growing discontent and eventual disobedience.
The growing tensions and anxieties of stranded residents are forcing the hands of local chief executives to eventually lift their respective travel restrictions.
Yes, many local government units are apprehensive but situations beyond their control may be the driving forces that will make them relent.
