WHEREAS, Article II, Section 15 of the Constitution declared it a policy of the State to protect and promote the right to health of the people;

WHEREAS, Proclamation No. 929 (s. 2020) declared 3 State of Calamity throughout the country and imposed an Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in the entire Luzon due to the COVID-19 pandemic;

WHEREAS, Republic Act No. 11469 or the "Bayanihan to Heal as One Act," granted the President temporary authority to carry out tasks necessary to implement measures to mitigate, if not contain the transmission of COVID-19, and undertake means to prevent the overburdening of the healthcare system, among others;

WHEREAS, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) adopted a science-based approach and data analytics in assessing the risk classification of cities, provinces and regions in the country;

WHEREAS, the parameters for risk classification include trends on the COViD-19 epidemiological curve, health systems capacity of local government units (LGUs), as well as economic, social and security considerations, which are reviewed and updated on a daily basis, consistent with the adoption of a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to managing the COVID-19 outbreak;

WHEREAS, the IATF, based on its risk assessment, recommended the extension of the ECQ in high-risk geographic areas in Luzon and the imposition of the ECQ in some high-risk areas in Visayas and Mindanao, while proposing a Genera! Community Quarantine (GCQ) in ail low-risk and moderate-risk areas in the country, from 01 May 2020 to 15 May 2020;

WHEREAS, the IATF, through Resolution No. 30 (s. 2020) dated 29 April 2020, approved and recommended the adoption of the Omnibus Guidelines for the Implementation of Community Quarantine in the Philippines, which shall apply to all regions, provinces, cities, or areas placed under ECQ or GCQ;

WHEREAS, , Section 4(g) of RA No. 11469 authorizes the President to ensure that all LGUs are acting within the letter and spirit of all the rules, regulations and directives issued by the National Government relative to the COVID-19 situation; are implementing standards of a community quarantine consistent with what the National Government has laid down for their respective areas; and are fully cooperating towards a unified, cohesive and orderly implementation of the national policy to address the crisis;

WHEREAS, these challenging times call for the full and sincere cooperation of all LGUs, in the true spirit of nationalism and bayanihan, as unilateral decisions to close off territorial boundaries and restrict the movement of workers and cargoes compromise the collective interests of all Filipinos and the country as a whole; and

WHEREAS, there is a need to build on the existing response measures of the government relative to the COVID-19 outbreak, maximize the gains we have achieved thus far, and complement efforts to strengthen the health systems capacity of hospitals, medical facilities and LGUs;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution and existing laws, do hereby order:

SECTION 1. Imposition of ECQ and GCQ. An ECQ shall be in effect in the entirety of the following geographic areas, including all provinces, highly-urbanized cities (HUCs), independent component cities (ICCs), component cities (CCs), and municipalities situated therein, from 12:01 a.m. of 01 May 2020 to 11:59 p.m. of 15 May 2020:

a. National Capital Region;

b. Region III (Central Luzon), except Aurora Province;

c. Region IV-A (CALABARZON);

d. Benguet Province;

e. Pangasinan Province;

f. Iloilo Province;

g. Cebu Province;

h. Bacolod City; and

i. Davao City.

For the same period, a GCQ is hereby imposed in all other areas of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, provided that, as a precondition, minimum health standards are achieved and continuously observed in these areas.

Any existing community quarantine imposed by an LGU, regardless of nomenclature, shall cease to take effect on 12:01 a.m. of 01 May 2020, and shall be superseded by the ECQ or GCQ herein set forth.

The IATF may lift the GCQ in low-risk areas after 15 May 2020, provided that no deterioration in their risk level occurs.

SECTION 2. Authority of LGUs to Impose, Lift or Extend a Community Quarantine. Beginning 16 May 2020, all decisions to impose, lift or extend a community quarantine in provinces, HUCs and ICCs shall rest with the IATF.

This notwithstanding, upon effectivity of this Order, provincial governors shall be authorized to impose, lift or extend ECQ in CCs and municipalities upon the concurrence of the relevant regional counterpart body of the IATF. The mayors of cities and municipalities are likewise authorized to impose, lift or extend ECQ in barangays, upon the concurrence of the relevant regional counterpart body of the IATF. This is without prejudice to the authority of the IATF to directly impose, lift or extend ECQ in these areas should circumstances call for it.

No LGU shall declare its own community quarantine, regardless of nomenclature, without observing the foregoing procedure.

SECTION 3. Guidelines on the Implementation of an ECQ and GCQ. The Omnibus Guidelines on the implementation of Community Quarantine in the  Philippines : as approved and recommended under IATF Resolution No. 30 is hereby confirmed and adopted. Any amendment or modification of such Omnibus Guidelines may be approved by the IATF without need of further approval of the President.

SECTION 4. Assistance and Cooperation of Agencies and LGUs. All departments, agencies and instrumentalities of the government, including state colleges and universities, government-owned or -controlled corporations, government financial institutions, and LGUs are directed to render full assistance to and cooperation with each other and mobilize the necessary resources for the implementation of the ECQ and GCQ pursuant to this Order.

SECTION 5. Separability. If any part of this Order is held unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions not affected thereby shall remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 6. Repeal. All orders, rules, regulations and issuances or parts thereof which are inconsistent with this Order are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

SECTION 7. Effectivity. This Order shall take effect immediately upon publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation.

DONE, in the City of Manila, this 30 day of April in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Twenty.

 (SGD.) RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE

By the President:

(SGD.) SALVADOR C. MEDIALDEA
Executive Secretary