CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA)–For unhampered movement of food and essential goods, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) 10 reiterates that all farmers and farm workers, fisherfolks and agribusiness personnel shall be exempted from doing home quarantine.
This is provided that they do not exhibit any one of the symptoms of COVID-19, the number of working farmers/fisherfolks/farm personnel is at minimum, safety protocols are ensured, and social distancing is practiced in the workplace.
DILG 10 Regional Director Arnel M. Agabe emphasized that “all farming and fishing activities shall continue to ensure sufficient food supply across the country; because aside from seeing to it that we will be able to contain and prevent COVID-19 in our respective areas, our government makes sure that ‘hunger’ would not add up to our various concerns.”
Such activities include, but not limited to land preparation, planting, crop maintenance, harvesting, threshing drying, milling, sorting, packaging, and trading. “With this, we are calling our local government units to be guided and to adhere to these protocols. Harmonizing our efforts will go a long way, especially during this crisis,” Agabe added.
Said provisions are based on Department of Agriculture (DA) Memorandum Circular No. 09 series of 2020, entitled ‘Supplemental Circular Based on the Memorandum Issued by the Executive Secretary on Enhanced Community Quarantine, Ensuring Unhampered Movement of all Cargoes, Agriculture and Fishery Inputs, Food Products and Agribusiness Personnel Nationwide.’
Moreover, these are set forth by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF-EID), and pertinent issuances by the various national government agencies (NGAs). (DILG10/PIA10)
