Full TEXT:

ORDINANCE NO. 2020-046

AN ORDINANCE INSTITUTING MEASURES TO PROMOTE PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY AND PROTECTION AGAINST THE CONTINUING THREAT OF COVID-19 OR ANY EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES, IMPOSING PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION THEREOF, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Author: Honorable City Councilor Mila S.D. Raquid-Arroyo

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The protection of its citizens is a primordial duty of the government. This duty is specifically enshrined in no less than the Fundamental Law of the land.

In the area of health, Section 15, Article II of the Philippine Constitution specifically declares it as a State Policy to protect and promote the right to health of all people. Section 23, Article VI thereof empowers Congress to authorize the President of the Republic of the Philippines in times of national emergency to exercise powers necessary to carry out a declared national policy.

In the exercise of the aforementioned power granted by the Philippine Constitution, Congress enacted Republic Act No. 11332 which authorized the President of the Republic of the Philippines to declare a State of Public Health Emergency in the event of an epidemic of national and/or international concern which threatens national security in order to mobilize governmental and nongovernmental agencies to respond to the threat.

On March 16, 2020, the President of the Republic of the Philippines issued Proclamation Nos. 922 and 929, declaring State of Public Health Emergency and a State of Calamity throughout the entire country due to Coronavirus Disease 2019 or COVID-19 pandemic. Consequent to these Proclamations, Presidential Memoranda were issued placing certain parts of the country on lockdown and community quarantine as measures to arrest the spread of the virus.

The intent and purposes of the aforementioned laws, Presidential Proclamations and Memoranda will not be achieved without the full cooperation and determined action of local government units. In Naga City, various Executive Orders, Ordinances, and Resolutions were immediately issued by the City Mayor and the Sangguniang Panlungsod, respectively, to specifically guide local action in the fight against COVID-19.

With the sustained and determined action of all sectors of the community which resulted in the efforts to fight COVID-19 gaining the upper hand, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases in the Philippines (IATF) which was created under Executive Order No. 168, series of 2014, approved Resolution No. 35, series of 2020 establishing the classification of Provinces, HUCs, and ICCs as low-risk areas, which are no longer under community quarantine but are required to strictly observe the required minimum health standards; moderate-risk areas, which shall be under general community quarantine and high-risk areas, which shall be placed under modified enhanced community quarantine and issued specific guidelines for each classification.

The fight against COVID-19 must therefore continue until its full eradication when the vaccine that will make the human body immune to this virus becomes available.

In adherence to Section 16 of the Local Government Code of 1991 which authorizes local government units to exercise powers essential to the promotion of the general welfare, the enactment of measures in implementation of the mandate to strictly observe required health standards to continually arrest the spread of COVID-19 or any other emerging infectious diseases is not only necessary but also urgent. Thus, this Ordinance.

SECTION 1. Title. This ordinance shall be known as An Ordinance for the Continuing Fight Against COVID-19 and other Emerging Infectious Diseases.

SECTION 2. Scope and Applicability. This Ordinance covers all persons within the territorial jurisdiction of the City of Naga unless herein specifically excepted and enforceable immediately upon the declaration of the existence of a community health emergency due to an infectious disease by pertinent government authority until the lifting thereof and shall be consistent with and suppletory to the issuances/guidelines that pertinent national government authority may issue, if any, on the matter.

SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. As used in this Ordinance, the following terms shall be defined as follows:

3.1. COVID-19 – an infectious disease caused by a certain type of corona virus transmitted through droplets from the nose or mouth which disease has been declared by the World Health Organization as a pandemic;

3.2 Emerging Infectious Diseases – Infectious diseases that affect the human population in a rapidly increasing rate of incidence or geographic range necessitating the application of the provisions of Republic Act No. 11332 otherwise known as “Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act”.

3.3 Lockdown – A government measure carried out in particular territorial jurisdiction/s whereby the entry thereto or exit therefrom by any person is prohibited or highly regulated to prevent the spread or transmission of infectious diseases.

3.4 Quarantine – A government measure carried out to prevent the spread or transmission of infectious diseases by designating certain place or area as quarantine whereby the exit therefrom of all those placed therein is prohibited or highly regulated.

3.5 Public Place – Any place outside a person’s place of residence or place of abode.

SECTION 4. Mandatory Proper Wearing of Face Mask or Improvised Face Shield. To prevent the spread of infectious diseases which, as declared by the Department of Health, is transmissible through the mouth or nose or by means of droplets from the mouth or nose of an infected individual, all persons entering Naga City or are within the territorial jurisdiction of Naga City but are outside of their home or place of abode are required to wear a face mask covering both the mouth and the nose at all times, except only to drink/eat. In further enforcement of this provision, all establishments/public utility vehicle operators operating in Naga City are mandated to provide such face mask to their employees/workers/drivers and require them to wear the same as herein prescribed.

SECTION 5. Mandatory Washing/Sanitizing of Hands. To ensure that viruses harmful to the human body are not transmitted through a person’s hands, regular hand washing/sanitizing is hereby declared mandatory. For this purpose, individuals are highly encouraged to carry with them all the time while out of their homes a bottle of 70% alcohol solution or hand sanitizer which they should use to ensure clean/sanitized hands. Likewise, all establishments, government or private, are hereby mandated to require everyone entering their establishments to sanitize their hands and for this purpose make available such hand sanitizer at the entrance of the establishment. To ensure access to alcohol or hand sanitizer, this chemical compound shall be included in the relief/assistance that the government shall provide, subject to availability thereof.

SECTION 6. Mandatory Social/Physical Distancing. To arrest the spread of COVID-19 or any such emerging infectious diseases, a distance of at least one (1) meter between individuals is hereby required of all persons outside of their homes until such time that a vaccine for such disease shall have been declared as available by appropriate government authority. For this purpose, any gathering of people may be carried out only when this requirement will be fully observed.

All establishments, public or private, operating within Naga City shall establish guidelines and procedures that will be implemented in the conduct of their operations to comply with this requirement.

SECTION 7. Impact of the Social/Physical Distancing Requirement to public/private transportation. To achieve the purposes of the social/physical distancing requirement as a strategy to fight COVID-19 and other such emerging infectious diseases, vehicles plying the streets within the territorial jurisdiction of Naga City shall comply with the following limitations on the allowed load thereof:

1. Car, SUV, AUV, “Owner-type” Jeep: Two (2) persons (including driver) at the front, and two (2) persons for each row at the back;
2. E-trike or taxicles: Only the driver at the front and two passengers at the back, seated facing each other;
3. Tricycle: One (1) passenger in the main cab, one (1) passenger at the back of the driver provided that a separator between the passenger and the driver is installed. If the tricycle unit has a passenger cab annexed at the back of the main cab, one passenger may be accommodated therein.
4. Padyak: One (1) passenger only;
5. Jeepneys, Buses, Vans, Taxis: As may be prescribed by the Land Transportation Office;
6. For private motorcycles, one back rider may be allowed only for members of the family except children.

For purposes of public utility e-trike, taxicle, tricycle, or padyak, the authorized fare shall be Twenty Pesos (P20.00) per passenger of e-trike, taxicle, or tricycle, and Ten Pesos (P10.00) for padyak to any point within the PUVs authorized route, provided that certain portions of such routes may be excluded when required as a further measure to achieve the purposes of this Ordinance. This amount shall be subject to oversight review every six (6) months.

SECTION 8. Regular Disinfection. As a further measure to achieve the purpose of this Ordinance, all heads of households, all public utility operators/drivers, and owner/manager of establishments or any facility shall conduct regular disinfection of their unit or facility to ensure its sanitary condition in accordance with government disinfection protocols. For this purpose, the Public Safety Office (PSO), in case of PUVs, and the City Sanitation Officer or his/her deputies, in the case of establishments operating within the territorial jurisdiction of the City of Naga, shall conduct regular spot inspection to enforce compliance hereof. The Chief of the PSO and the Sanitation Officer shall render their respective reports pursuant hereof to the City Mayor, copy furnished the Sangguniang Panlungsod.

SECTION 9. Stricter Prohibition Against Unsanitary Spitting, Sneezing or Urinating. To further achieve the purpose of this Ordinance, spitting, sneezing or urinating in places which are not specifically appropriate for the purpose is herein strictly prohibited. For this purpose, spitting or sneezing shall be considered unsanitary unless the same is made on a tissue/toilet paper or cloth and disposed of properly, or when the spit gets directly and immediately flushed down the sewer. Urinating shall be considered unsanitary if the same is done in any place other than a toilet.

SECTION 10. Imposition of New Curfew Hours. As a further measure to achieve the purpose of this Ordinance, curfew hours from 9:00 o’clock pm to 4:00 o’clock a.m. is hereby imposed upon all persons within the territorial jurisdiction of the City of Naga.

10.1 During curfew hours, no person shall be in a public place such as streets, alleys, parks and plazas, playgrounds, subdivision open spaces, subdivision roads, buildings and facilities where no legitimate business is normally transacted at nighttime, or in vacant/idle lot, or vacant/abandoned buildings/structures.

10.2 To facilitate the observance of curfew hours, businesses which are normally open only for a fixed period per day shall open only after 4:00 o’clock a.m. and close not later than 8:00 o’clock p.m. Businesses which are normally open 24/7 or even at night shall ensure that they do not serve as refuge for curfew violators.

10.3 The Philippine National Police and the Public Safety Office shall enforce the curfew citywide; barangay tanods shall enforce the curfew within their respective jurisdiction particularly in interiors of their barangays. Barangay tanods may call upon the PNP or the PSO for assistance in the enforcement of curfew hours if such is warranted.

10.4 The following persons are not covered by the curfew imposed under this ordinance:

10.4.1 Persons involved in an emergency situation. This includes unforeseen circumstances, or the status or condition resulting therefrom, requiring immediate action to safeguard life, limb or property. The term also includes, but is not limited to, fires, calamities, disasters, automobile accidents, or other similar circumstances.

10.4.2 Government officials, employees and volunteers with mission orders and are in the actual performance and exercise of its law enforcement, incident management and peace and order functions, including those manning vital government facilities such as Naga City People’s Mall, Bicol Central Station, Naga City Abattoir and the Solid Waste Management Office.

10.4.3 Church ministers in charge of attending to the sick and the dying.

10.4.4 Employees of essential service facilities whose working schedules overlap the curfew period, and are en route to and/or returning home from work, such as, but not limited to:
i. Hospitals, lying-in clinics, and humanitarian agencies
ii. Business Process Outsourcing companies;
iii. Electric generation and distribution utilities
iv. Water utilities
v. Communication companies
vi. Pharmacies and/or drug stores with 24/7 operations
vii. Fuel stations with 24/7 refilling operations

10.4.5 Those buying food or medicines for patients confined in hospitals and lying in clinics.

10.4.6 Those accompanying night shift workers to or fetching them from their place of work.

10.4.7 Immediate family members attending to the wake of a deceased relative.

To avail of exemption, the above-listed persons shall present to the accosting peace officer their government or company issued ID and proof establishing the circumstance to exemption.

10.5 Vehicles passing thru or arriving in Naga City during curfew hours shall be allowed to continue its transit thru the city or to its final destination in Naga City. Public utility vehicles intending to stop in Naga City shall do so only at their designated terminal. Vehicles bound for Naga City shall proceed direct to its final destination.

SECTION 11. Mandatory Testing and Quarantine. Until such time that a vaccine for COVID-19 or any such emerging infectious disease is officially declared as available, the following are herein mandated:

11.1 All persons coming in Naga City from areas with confirmed existing case of COVID-19 or any such emerging infectious diseases shall not be allowed to go directly to their destination in Naga City and shall proceed instead to the government-controlled quarantine facility for mandatory testing for such disease and be held therein until the test result is received by the City government. In case of non-availability of the test kit, the subject individual shall be held in the said quarantine facility for fourteen (14) days or for such period as determined by the appropriate government agency. If the test result return positive, the subject individual shall be taken to the designated government facility for administration of treatment protocol.

11.2. The government-controlled facility shall be so set-up, designed and managed in such a way that it shall be friendly and responsive to the particular situations and needs and safeguard the welfare of the quarantined individuals, particularly children.

11.3. Self-quarantine may be allowed in the event that i) no space in the quarantine facility is available, or ii) when the subject individual chooses to be self-quarantined, or iii) the subject individual is a senior citizen, a pregnant woman, or has specific health/medical condition, provided, that, under any of the above circumstances, the Health Emergency Response Task Force is satisfied that self-quarantine will not defeat the purpose of this Ordinance and provided further that the subject individual shall submit himself to close monitoring by the Health Emergency Response Task Force.

11.2 Persons who enter Naga City for delivery of allowed goods or services shall proceed directly to their destination or work areas and must complete their task within 12 hours without doing any other thing not related to their task and thereafter immediately go back to their point of origin or next area of destination outside of Naga City. If, after completing delivery, the subject persons require further time in Naga City for rest or any other purpose, they shall proceed directly to the government-controlled facility for testing/quarantine.

11.3 The persons making the delivery and the person/party to whom the delivery is made are jointly responsible for ensuring the achievement of the purpose of this Section and in complying with the following:

11.3.1 Upon arrival in the compound of the recipient individual or firm, the person making the delivery must not be made to alight without a face mask, their temperature taken, their hands disinfected, and the vehicle wheels and external surfaces disinfected. If any of the persons making the delivery show signs of possible ailment, he or she shall be considered as an infectious disease suspect and such information shall be made known to the local health authorities for appropriate protocol. Any activity of the persons making the delivery shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of this ordinance.

11.3.2 In the event that the person making the delivery has to stay overnight to rest within Naga City, this fact shall be communicated to the HERTF at least twelve (12) hours prior to arrival in Naga City and such rest shall be made only in a city-accredited quarantine facility.

11.3.3 For purposes of contact tracing, the recipient individual or firm shall maintain a record of the delivery indicating the names, address and contact number of all the persons who made the delivery, their origin and next destination, the date and time of their arrival and departure from their premises, and of those persons they came in contact with while in Naga City.

11.4 Persons getting tested for the infectious disease shall pay the costs of the test kit and other administrative expenses except those in the front line action in response to the health emergency, those mandatorily admitted in City-controlled quarantine facility, and indigents who are bonafide residents of Naga City.

11.5 In enforcement of the provisions in this Section, checkpoints shall be established in all entry points to Naga City. In the event that such checkpoints are specifically prohibited under national law or regulation, all barangay officers/personnel are enjoined to establish a system of tracking entrants/arrivals in their respective barangays and report the same to the Health Emergency Response Task Force for the enforcement of this Section.

SECTION 12. Other Responsibilities of owners/managers of establishments:

12.1 Prioritize Senior Citizens, pregnant women, persons with disabilities or other vulnerable sectors during the first hour of its operation;
12.2 Check the temperature of employees and customers upon entry into the establishment;
12.3 Require employees and customers to disinfect hands using alcohol or alcohol-based sanitizers upon entry;
12.4 Ensure proper use of face masks within their establishment;
12.5 Place foot baths with appropriate disinfectants in all entrances;
12.6 Disinfect premises, particularly surfaces and payment objects (e.g. handrails, door knobs, payment counters, seats and chairs, tables, etc.) on a regular basis;
12.7 Make sure that physical distancing is observed by limiting number of people inside and outside the establishment;
12.8 Discourage people from staying inside the facility by disabling WiFi access and keeping air-conditioning at 26 degrees Celsius;
12.9 Refuse business with customers who are non-compliant with the foregoing protocols and report such violation to the HERTF;
12.10 Provide within their premises any such equipment or facilities that would prevent/lessen transmission of the disease as required by and in accordance with pertinent government issuances.

SECTION 13. Community/Barangay Lockdown/Quarantine. In the event that a positive case of COVID-19 or any such emerging infectious disease is confirmed by the City Health Officer to exist in Naga City, the City Mayor may authorize the lockdown of the affected barangay or part thereof for purposes of conducting contact-tracing and/or strict monitoring of the residents therein for a period that he may so determine from the information and recommendations of the City Health Officer. When a lockdown/quarantine is declared, the pertinent departments/offices of the City Government shall collaborate with one another to make available basic services/necessities directly to the barangay concerned.

SECTION 14. Contact Tracing. To further implement pre-emptive measures and quick-response, contract-tracing of all individuals coming into Naga City is hereby mandated. For this purpose the following are hereby mandated:

14.1 All persons coming in Naga City from areas with confirmed case of COVID-19 or any such emerging infectious disease shall likewise declare, as provided under Section 10 hereof, the full name, address, and phone number of individuals they have been in contact within the last fourteen (14) days prior to their entry in Naga City;

14.2 The operators/drivers of public utility vehicles entering Naga City shall submit to the Bicol Central Station a copy of the manifest of the passengers transported by them from point of origin to point of destination. Such manifest shall indicate, among others, the date of arrival in Naga City, the full name, address, and phone number of their passengers. This same requirement shall apply to air/sea crafts carrying passengers bound to or from Naga City.

14.3 All information gathered under this Section shall be used solely for the achievement of the purpose of this Ordinance.

SECTION 15. Mandate for Household Vegetable Gardening. As it has long been declared that vegetables, particularly the green leafy ones, are essential in fighting infections as they boost the human body’s immune system, every household is hereby required to establish a garden where vegetables, especially green leafy ones, shall be grown by them year round to ensure that families living in Naga City shall at all times have some vegetables to include in their meals. For households who have no vacant land available for the purpose, plant pots shall be established to comply with this requirement. For this purpose, the City Agriculture Office shall make available seeds/seedlings, assist households put up their respective vegetable gardens, and establish/conduct an annual Search for the Best Household Vegetable Garden in each of the Twenty Seven barangays of Naga City.

To ensure compliance with this requirement, any person availing of any service from the City Government of Naga shall fill-up a form declaring compliance with the requirement as imposed herein. All offices in the City Government of Naga shall require such undertaking upon every person availing of the services of their office.

To further achieve the purpose of this Section, as a requirement for issuance of development permit, all residential subdivision developers are hereby required to allocate at least one (1) square meter of land for every one hundred square meters of the subdivision project exclusively for vegetable gardening which shall be turned over to the Homeowners Association therein for this purpose. For subdivisions already existing at the time of the effectivity of this Ordinance, the spaces allocated as greeneries as required under existing laws shall be utilized by the Homeowners Association as vegetable gardens if the same has not yet been utilized for other greeneries.

To facilitate the implementation of the provisions of this Section, the City Agriculture Office shall implement a program in partnership with the barangay councils, Homeowner Associations, and other people’s organizations for the utilization of vacant lots and implement the provisions of Ordinance No. 2016-035 or the Idle Land Utilization Ordinance of Naga City pertinent to the purpose hereof.

SECTION 16. Citizen Participation in Enforcement. To ensure faithful implementation of this Ordinance, all citizens are called upon to report violation of any of the provisions hereof to the HERTF directly or through the digital communication platforms of the City Government of Naga.

SECTION 17. Special Role of Schools/Educational Institutions. In recognition of the indispensable role of the schools/educational institution in instilling the values and practices necessary to achieve the purpose of this Ordinance, all schools/educational institutions operating within Naga City shall include in their daily class activity the lessons on proper hand hygiene, proper spitting, sneezing, or coughing and shall make available at all times within the school premises sufficient and readily accessible facilities for hand washing or sanitizing. For this purpose, the Naga City Education, Scholarships and Sports Office (ESSO) shall render a monthly report to the City Mayor and the Sangguniang Panlungsod on the schools’ compliance herewith and recommend necessary action to achieve the purpose hereof.

SECTION 18. Penalties. To ensure faithful compliance with the provisions of this Ordinance, the following penalties shall be imposed:

18.1. Violation under Sections 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12;
– 1st violation: Fine of Two Thousand Pesos (P2,000.00);
– 2nd violation: Fine of Three Thousand Pesos (P3,000.00);
– 3rd violation: Fine of Five Thousand Pesos (P5,000.00).

18.1.1 In the foregoing cases, if the violator is a business establishment regardless of whether for profit or not, the following penalties shall be imposed:

– 1st Violation: Fine of Two Thousand Pesos (P2,000) and One (1) Month Suspension. For unregistered businesses, the penalty of fine with the amount of Five Thousand Pesos (P5,000.00) shall be imposed and shall be immediately closed, without prejudice to other sanctions provided under relevant laws and ordinances;
– 2nd Violation: Fine of Four Thousand Pesos (P4,000) and Three (3) Months Suspension of operations;
– 3rd Violation: Fine of Five Thousand Pesos (P5,000) and Six (6) Months Suspension of operations.

18.1.2 If the violator is a public utility padyak, tricycle, e-trike or taxicle operator/driver, and the violation pertains to the duty specifically imposed upon them as such, the penalty for the 3rd violation shall include cancellation of franchise. If the violator is a public utility jeepney, bus, van, or taxi operator/driver, the penalty of cancellation of franchise shall be recommended to the franchising authority.

18.2 Violation of Quarantine as required under Section 11 of this Ordinance:
– 1st violation: Fine of Two Thousand Pesos (P2,000.00) per person;
– 2nd violation: Fine of Three Thousand Pesos (P3,000.00);
– 3rd violation: Fine of Five Thousand Pesos (P5,000.00).

18.3 Refusal to furnish information or deliberate furnishing of erroneous/false information required for contact tracing:
– A Fine of Five Thousand Pesos (P5,000.00) without prejudice to other applicable penalties under existing laws or ordinances.

18.2 Violation of Curfew Hours. Adult offenders shall be brought to the nearest police station to be booked with the following penalties:

– 1st violation: Fine of One Thousand Pesos (P1,000.00);
– 2nd violation: Fine of Three Thousand Pesos (P3,000.00);
– 3rd violation: Fine of Five Thousand Pesos (P5,000.00);
– 4th violation: Fine of Five Thousand Pesos (P5,000.00) and imprisonment for a period of not less than three (3) months but not more than six (6) months.

If the violator is an establishment and the violation consist in becoming a refuge for violators of the curfew hours, the establishment shall be prohibited from operating within the curfew hours in addition to the penalties for the first violation and closure of business establishment in addition to the penalty for third violation.

If the violator is a minor, the above penalties shall not be imposed but the minor shall immediately be brought to his/her residence and released to his/her parents with reprimand and condition that a second violation by the minor shall place him/her at the Naga City Children’s Home, for boys and Naga City Bantay Familia, for girls, at the expense of the parents/guardians until such time that proof is submitted that the offender is truly determined to be a law-abiding citizen as determined by the Chief of the Naga City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO). For non-residents of Naga City, the CSWDO shall process the case in accordance with its established policies and procedures applicable on the matter. For such second violation, a fine of two thousand pesos (P2,000.00) shall be imposed upon the parents/guardians and for each repeat thereof.

18.3. Failure to put up and keep a year-round vegetable garden:

– 1st violation: Reprimand
– 2nd violation or if still non-compliant after one (1) month from reprimand: Fine of Five Hundred Pesos (P500.00);
– 3rd violation or if still non-compliant after two (2) months from date of citation for 2nd violation: Fine of One Thousand Pesos (P1,000.00).
– 4th violation or if still non-compliant after three (3) months from citation for 3rd violation: Fine of Two Thousand Pesos (P2,000.00) plus forfeiture of right to avail of government welfare services.

SECTION 19. Authority of the City Mayor. The City Mayor may issue guidelines and such other measures to ensure full enforcement of this Ordinance.

SECTION 20. – Massive Information Campaign. The City Events, Protocol and Public Information Office is hereby mandated to conduct massive information campaign on the intent, purpose, and provisions of this Ordinance. For this purpose, the CEPPIO shall develop infographics on proper handwashing, spitting, sneezing and coughing etiquette and cause the posting thereof in all public areas in the city/barangays.

SECTION 21. Health Emergency Response Task Force (HERTF). To facilitate immediate and coordinated response on the emergency for which this Ordinance is enacted, a response team, herein referred to as Health Emergency Response Task Force (HERTF) is hereby created composed of the following:

i. Public Safety Office
ii. City Health Office
iii. City Treasurer’s Office
iv. Philippine National Police
v. Bureau of Fire Protection
vi. DOLE
vii. DTI
viii. CEPPIO

The HERTF shall assist the City Mayor and shall be immediately convened by the latter upon the declaration of health emergency and perform the following functions in addition to what the City Mayor may require in implementation of this Ordinance:

i. Put up checkpoints in strategic areas of the city;
ii. Inspect business premises;
iii. Apprehend violators and issue citations;
iv. Identify other measures for mitigation of the risks posed by COVID-19 or any such emerging infectious diseases and recommend the same for enactment by the Sangguniang Panlungsod or issuance by the City Mayor, as the case maybe;
v. Render a weekly status report to the Sangguniang Panlungsod until the emergency is declared lifted.

The HERTF may enlist the assistance of qualified volunteers, public or private, to assist in the performance of its functions.

SECTION 22. Repealing. All ordinances, resolutions, executive issuances or parts thereof which are inconsistent with any of the provisions of this Ordinance are deemed repealed or amended accordingly.

SECTION 23. Separability. If any provision in this Ordinance is declared invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, the provisions not otherwise so declared or impaired by such declaration shall remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 24. Effectivity. This Ordinance shall take effect immediately upon its approval and publication in a newspaper of general circulation in Naga City.

ENACTED: May 26, 2020.

WE HEREBY CERTIFY to the correctness of the foregoing ordinance.

GIL A. DE LA TORRE
Secretary to the Sangguniang Panlungsod

CECILIA B. VELUZ-DE ASIS
City Vice Mayor & Presiding Officer

APPROVED:

NELSON S. LEGACION
City Mayor