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HomeFront PageI did not order agri-firms to freeze operations: Zubiri

I did not order agri-firms to freeze operations: Zubiri

Bukidnon Gov. Jose Maria Zubiri Jr. made it clear on Thursday (April 16) that he did not order banana and pineapple producing companies to cease operating while the province is still under the enhanced community quarantine.

 

 

 

During a press conference Thursday, Zubiri said ordering the Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association Inc. (PBGEA) and Del Monte Philippines Inc. (DMPI) to stop their operation was not part of executive order 20 (EO20) contrary to allegations made these companies to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

 

 

 

Zubiri is one of the local chief executives directed by the DILG to reply to a show cause order over alleged violation of guidelines in the implementation of community quarantine, one of the measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

 

 

 

EO 20, which takes effect April 13 to 26, essentially restricts movement of transportation and people in and out of Bukidnon as it urges residents to stay in their homes.

 

 

 

The executive order, Zubiri said, allows “essential establishments and businesses” to continue operation, provided they will institute their respective precautionary measures.

 

 

 

Based on EO 20, those considered essential are groceries, supermarkets, wet markets; water refilling stations; food delivery services, courier services and other delivery services; hospital, medical laboratories, pharmacies and drugstores; banks, automated teller machines, savings and credit cooperatives, money-transfer service; gas stations and LPG stations; funeral parlors; and public utility services.

 

 

 

The intention of EO 20, Zubiri said in his April 15 reply letter to DILG Undersecretary Epicamo Densing III, is to “ensure the prevention of the rise of PUM [persons under monitoring] and PUI [persons under invetsigation] cases as well as to ensure that no COVID-19 positive case will occur in the Province of Bukidnon.”

 

 

 

“Unfortunately, even before the effectivity of the said EO20, a positive case of COVID-19 in the City of Valencia was confirmed. It is only therefore necessary that strict home quarantine as suggested by the mayors and issued through EO 20 be implemented,” he added.

 

 

 

“I would like to state for the record that I have never ordered any agricultural banana and pineapple plantations to stop their operation,” Zubiri said, adding, “neither did the EO 20 categorically stated the closure of banana and pineapple plantations.”

 

 

 

Zubiri’s statement was also in reaction to the issue that was relayed by agri-business entities to the DILG.

 

 

 

Based on observations by other local government officials, he said current working conditions of these companies’ packing facilities do not conform to the social distancing policy.

 

 

 

“To reiterate, the issuance of our latest Executive Order No. 20 as well as the general plea for the workers to stay at home for two weeks was made due to the clamor of all the 20 municipal and 2 city LGUs in the province and purely for the more pressing health concerns of our constituents,” he said.

 

 

 

Zubiri said “Everything was taken into consideration” when the EO was issued including the food assistance to all households in the entire province of Bukidnon.

 

 

 

The governor, however, has assured that his office “will be addressing the concern of these companies,” referring to PBGEA and DMPI.

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