IATF-EID Resolution No. 047, s. 2020

June 19, 2020

IATF-EID RESOLUTION NO. 047, S. 2020

WHEREAS, on April 30, 2020, the Office of the Executive Secretary issued Executive Order (E.O.) No. 112, Imposing an Enhanced Community Quarantine in High-Risk Geographic Areas of the Philippines and a General Community Quarantine in the Rest of the Country from 01 to 15 May 2020, Adopting the Omnibus Guidelines on the Implementation Thereof, and for Other Purposes;

WHEREAS, on May 23, 2020, pursuant to the authority granted to the IATF under E.O. 112, the IATF issued and published amended Omnibus Guidelines on the Implementation of the Community Quarantine in the Philippines;

WHEREAS, due to developments in the situation of the COVID-19 health event in the country, further amendments are required to further streamline the government's response to the pandemic;

WHEREAS, as of June 19, 2020, there is a total of Twenty-One Thousand Eight Hundred Ninety-Five (21,895) confirmed cases in the Philippines;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, as it is hereby resolved, that the IATF cascades following directives:

A. To mitigate and manage the continuing increase in the number of new cases and widespread community transmission in majority of barangays in Cebu City, as well as consistent case doubling time of less than seven (7) days and significant increase in critical care utilization against critical care capacities of Region VII and the rest of the Visayas, the National Task Force (NTF) is hereby directed to evaluate the ground-level response of the Cebu City Local Government Units (LGUs) for one (1) week beginning 22 June 2020, in order to orchestrate a more calibrated response as follows:

1. Assessment of the possibility of instituting an NTF Emergency Operation Center and designation of a Visayas Deputy Implementer for Region VII and the entire Visayas;

2. Establishment of Out-Patient Services (OPS) in existing Temporary Treatment and Monitoring Facilities (TTMFs) in response to the low utilization of such TTMFs and the increasing number of isolated individuals at home;

3. Harmonization of regional and national data among Department of Health (DOH), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the NTF;

4. Improvement of the management of Locally Stranded Individuals (LSI);

5. Strict and uniform enforcement of minimum public health standards in high-risk areas such as healthcare settings, wet markets, supermarkets, government offices, and workplaces, among others.

B. The NTF is also hereby directed, in coordination with the IATF sub-Technical Working Group on Data Analytics, sub-Technical Working Group on Anticipatory and Forward Planning, and the University of the Philippines System Planning Group, to commence the assessment and planning for the second and third phases of the National Action Plan;

C. In order to contain and control the spread of COVID-19 across the country, the NTF is directed to harmonize the efforts for the "Balik-Probinsya" Program and Locally Stranded Individuals (LSIs);

D. The Department of Transportation, together with the Department of Science and Technology, Department of Health, Metro Manila Development Authority, and the Department of Trade and Industry-Bureau of Philippine Standards, are hereby directed to convene and determine the safest and most effective manner to reduce the rate of transmission in back riding in motorcycles. For this purpose, this mode of transportation is hereinafter allowed in principle, upon the approval of the requirements to be set by this Technical Working Group;

E. The Department of Foreign Affairs, with the Department of Health, Department of Labor and Employment with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Department of Transportation and its attached agencies, Maritime Industry Authority, Philippine Ports Authority, Bureau of Immigration, and other relevant agencies and offices, are hereby directed to draft guidelines to allow the entry of foreign seafarers for purposes of ship crew rotation;

F. All member agencies are hereby directed to conduct an inventory of issued IATF IDs and thereby issue the appropriate advisory to individual exempted industries/sectors for the surrender of IATF IDs issued to persons no longer connected or affiliated with them. As such, IATF IDs shall continue to be in force and effect for so long as the State of Public Health Emergency subsists.

G. As part of the efforts of the government to partake in the global action in developing a vaccine for COVID-19, the recommendations of the sub-Technical Working Group on Vaccine Development are hereby adopted:

1. The participation of the Philippines in the World Health Organization Solidarity Trial for a COVID-19 vaccine. Provided that the Philippines will have an equitable access and a secured portion on the eventual global vaccine supply;

2. The allocation of the necessary funding for the participation in the said trials to be proposed in the 2021 budget of the DOST; and

3. The creation of a separate panel under the sub-Technical Working Group on Vaccine Development established pursuant to IATF Resolution No. 39 to provide technical support for local pharmaceutical companies.

RESOLVED, FURTHER, that the Omnibus Guidelines on Community Quarantine in the Philippines adopted pursuant to E.O. 112, as amended in accordance with the authority granted under the same, shall further be amended, as follows:

A. Technical-vocational education and training (TVET) of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) shall be allowed to resume under the following:

1. Insertion of a new provision under Paragraph 11 Section [4] General Community Quarantine:

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c. 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;

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

2. Insertion of a new paragraph under Paragraph 6 Section [5] Modified General Community Quarantine:

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Face-to-face TVET training and competency assessment may be conducted at up to 50% training and assessment site capacity, provided there is strict compliance with minimum public health standards, TESDA Guidelines and consultation with local government units.

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B. Mass gatherings in higher educational institutions shall follow the existing guidelines under Modified General Community Quarantine. Accordingly, the prohibition on mass gatherings in higher education institutions is hereby deleted.

C. The exemption of public utility vehicles from local curfew ordinances is hereby affirmed. For this purpose, Paragraph 1 Section [8] General Provisions is hereby amended as follows:

1. LGUs are enjoined to enact the necessary ordinances to enforce curfew only for non-workers in jurisdictions placed under MECQ, GCQ and MGCQ to penalize, in a fair and humane manner, violations of the restrictions on the movement of people as provided under these Omnibus Guidelines. Law enforcement agencies, in implementing and enforcing said curfew ordinances, are likewise strongly enjoined to observe fair and humane treatment of curfew violators. Public transportation, however, shall not be restricted by such curfew ordinances.

APPROVED during the 47th Inter-Agency Task Force Meeting, as reflected in the minutes of the meeting, held this 19th of June 2020 via video conference.

(SGD.) FRANCISCO T. DUQUE IIISecretary, Department of HealthIATF Chairperson

(SGD.) KARLO ALEXEI B. NOGRALESCabinet Secretary, Office of the CabinetIATF Co-Chairperson

ATTACHMENT

Certification

This is to certify that:

1. I am presently an Assistant Secretary of the Department of Health;

2. I am the designated Head of the Secretariat of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases created under Executive Order No. 168, series of 2014 and chaired by the Department of Health (DOH);

3. The IATF Secretariat holds office in the DOH Main Office, San Lazaro Compound, Tayuman, Sta. Cruz, Manila;

4. I am the custodian of the records of the IATF, including the Minutes of Meetings and Resolutions;

5. In the Regular Meeting of the IATF held on June 19, 2020 via teleconference during which a quorum was present and acted throughout, IATF Resolution No. 47 was unanimously approved and adopted;

6. The foregoing resolution has been signed by Secretary Francisco T. Duque III and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexei B. Nograles upon authority of the IATF Members;

7. The aforesaid resolution has not been altered, modified nor revoked and the same is now in full force and effect;

8. I am executing this Certification for whatever legitimate purpose this may serve.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto affixed my signature this 19th day of June 2020, Manila.

(SGD.) KENNETH G. RONQUILLO, MD, MPHMAssistant Secretary, Department of Health