An online poster announcing an odd-even vehicle coding scheme taking effect April 20 in keeping with the COVID-19 quarantine has been mistaken as a new regulation for Metro Manila.
The new vehicle reduction scheme applies to Lapu-Lapu City in Central Visayas. The announcement was posted by the Lapu-Lapu City government and its mayor, Junard "Ahong" Chan, on their Facebook pages.
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority said in a tweet the number coding scheme for vehicles in the metropolis, officially known as the Unified Vehicle Volume Reduction Program (UVVRP), remains lifted.
MMDA lifted the UVVRP on March 13, two days before the community quarantine took effect in the national capital region. An enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) became Luzonwide on March 17.
In their posts, Chan and the city government urged the city’s 408,112 residents to save the poster on their mobile phones:
Para sa mas klarong guide sa atong Number Coding Scheme, palihug sa pag save ani sa inyung cellphone. Kung ikaw mo apply ug Certificate to Travel para sa Vehicle Coding Scheme, palihug sa pag fill out sa form thru this link: lapulapucity.gov.ph/exemptionrequest
(For a clearer guide to our Number Coding Scheme, please save this to your cellphone. If you are applying for a Certificate to Travel for the Vehicle Coding Scheme, please fill out the form through this link: lapulapucity.gov.ph/exemptionrequest)
The city’s poster, however, was being shared in multiple Viber groups without the footer, “Follow us on Facebook Junard Ahong Chan Lapu-Lapu City Government – Chan Administration.” This led a number of people to think the vehicular restriction was for Metro Manila.
Lapu-Lapu City has been enforcing ECQ since March 29 through Executive Order 2020-048 Chan issued on March 26.
Expressing alarm over the eight confirmed COVID-19 cases in the city as of April 17 and blatant disregard of quarantine guidelines by some residents, the mayor issued that weekend Executive Order 2020-048-C, as shown in the city’s online poster.
The amended ordinance allows vehicles with license plates ending with odd numbers to be on the road only on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and from 5:01 a.m. to 11:59 a.m. of Sunday. Those with even numbers can travel only on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and noon to 9:59 p.m. Sunday.
Exempted from the scheme are employees from exempt establishments with private vehicles, delivery vehicles of essential goods, individuals undergoing medical checkup or treatment, and company shuttles or vehicles of exempt establishments.
The ordinance also implemented a shopping odd-even scheme using the last digit of the city-issued quarantine passes as basis.
Cebu and Mandaue Cities have a similar number coding scheme for vehicles except on Sunday. Cebu City (population: 922,611) does not allow vehicles and motorcycles to be on its streets on Sunday while Mandaue (362,654) allows odd-numbered vehicles to travel from 12 a.m. to 11:59 a.m. and even-number ones from noon to 11:59 p.m.
As of April 19, Cebu reported 165 confirmed cases and six deaths; Mandaue, six confirmed cases and no deaths; and Lapu-Lapu, 11 confirmed cases and no deaths.
References
Executive Order No. 2020–048–C. An executive order instituting additional measures FOR A STRICTER BORDER CONTROL WITHIN THE TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION OF LAPU-LAPU CITY Retrieved from http://lapulapucity.gov.ph/executiveorders
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority [Official MMDA]. (2020, April 20). Lifted po ang coding until further notice. #mmda [Tweet]. Retrieved from https://twitter.com/i/status/1252024487135961088
Guide: New Vehicle Coding Scheme in Cebu City, Mandaue & Lapu-Lapu City. (2020, April 19). Retrieved from https://sugbo.ph/2020/guide-coding-scheme-vehicles/
Exec. Order No. 2020-048. (2020). Retrieved from http://lapulapucity.gov.ph/executiveorders
Exec. Order No. 2020-048-C. (2020). Retrieved from http://lapulapucity.gov.ph/executiveorders
Number coding lifted – MMDA. (2020, March 13). Retrieved from https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1241161/number-coding-scheme-lifted
Junard "Ahong" Chan. (2020, April 18). Para sa mas klarong guide sa atong Number Coding Scheme, palihug sa page save ani sa inyung cellphone… [Facebook status update]. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/1597892066938019/photos/a.1949190751808147/2947432308650648/?type=3&theater
Lapu-Lapu City Government - Chan Administration. (2020, April 19). UPDATE: As of 5PM, 19 April 2020, the DOH Central Visayas Center for Health Development reports a total of one hundred ninety (190) COVID-19 cases in Central Visayas with three (3) new cases, and one (1) death [Facebook status update]. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/lapulapucitygovernment/posts/2474448195988002
Lapu-Lapu City Government - Chan Administration. (2020, April 19). Para sa mas klarong guide sa atong Number Coding Scheme, palihug sa page save ani sa inyung cellphone… [Facebook status update]. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/lapulapucitygovernment/photos/a.1898007910298703/2473843992715089/?type=3&theater