Republic of the Philippines

CITY OF MASBATE
City Hall Compound, Masbate City

OFFICE OF THE SANGGUNIANG PANLUNGSOD

EXCERPTS FROM THE MINUTES OF THE 47th REGULAR SESSION OF THE 7TH SANGGUNIANG PANLUNGSOD HELD AT
Secretary to the Sangguniang Panlungsod

LEGISLATIVE SESSION HALL, MASBATE CITY ON JUNE 9, 2020.

Introduced by: Hon. RODOLFO C. ABELLA - City Councilor/ Temporary Presiding Officer
DANNY A. FUNELAS

Hon RUBY M .SANCHEZ-MORANO - Vice Mayor

Hon. ALBERTO R. ABAYON - City Councilor
Hon. ROSEMARIE V. SALVACION - City Councilor
Hon. ALEX D. SAN PABLO - City Councilor
Hon. JOEL V. IBAÑEZ - City Councilor
Hon. RAMIL O. YANEZA - City Councilor
Hon. SOCRATES M. TUASON - Liga ng mga Barangay Fed. President

ORDINANCE NO. 244-2020

AN ORDINANCE PROHIBITING ANY PERSON FROM COMMITTING ANY ACT WHICH CAUSES STIGMA, DISGRACE,
SHAME, HUMILIATION, HARRASMENT OR OTHERWISE DISCRIMINATING AGAINST A PERSON INFECTED, PERSONS
FALLING UNDER SUSPECT CASES, PROBABLE CASES, CONFIRMED CASES; PERSONS WHO HAVE RECOVERED FROM
COVID-19; AND AGAINST HEALTH WORKERS, FRONTLINERS, OR PERSONS WHOSE EMPLOYMENT HAS CALLED THEM
RUBY SANCHEZ-MORANO

TO REPORT FOR DUTY DURING THIS TIME OF NATIONAL HEALTH EMERGENCY IN THE CITY OF MASBATE, AND
IMPOSING PENALTIES THEREFOR
Vice Mayor/ Author

WHEREAS, it is a state policy to value the dignity of every human person and to guarantee full respect for human rights;
WHEREAS, on March 8, 2020, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte issued Proclamation No. 922, entitled “Declaring a State of Public
Health Emergency throughout the Philippines”;
WHEREAS, on March 12, 2020, the President approved Resolution No. 11, Series of 2020 by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF)
for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease which imposed wide-ranging emergency health measures, including
community quarantine on the entire Metro Manila, prohibition of mass gatherings, class suspensions, and imposition of stringent
social distancing, among others;
WHEREAS, on March 16, 2020, the President declared a State of Calamity throughout the entire Philippines and placed Luzon
under Enhanced Community Quarantine, as part of its continuous campaign to halt the COVID-19 pandemic;
City Councilor/Temporary Presiding Officer

WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 16 of the Local Government Code of 1991 provides that every local government unit, including
RODOLFO C. ABELLA

the barangay, has the implied power to do all things necessary, appropriate, or incidental to govern efficiently and effectively,
promote general welfare, promote health and safety, maintain peace and order, and preserve the comfort and convenience of their
inhabitants;
WHEREAS, the rapid increase of COVID-19 cases has struck fear and paranoia in people so much so that it has brought forth
biases and prejudices against persons who are confirmed COVID-19 cases, who have recovered from COVID-19, Persons Under
Investigation (PUIs) and Persons Under Monitoring (PUMs), and against health workers, frontliners, repatriated overseas Filipino
workers and seafarers, or others persons whose employment has called them to report for duty during this time of national health
emergency (Covered Individuals);
WHEREAS, these biases and prejudices have resulted in unwarranted actual and virtual vilification, discrimination, and violence
towards these Covered Individuals;
WHEREAS, there has been an alarming rise of reported crimes against Covered Individuals, such as unauthorized publication of
their names in social media, unlawful eviction from their homes, prohibition from their return to their residences, refusal of services
in eateries or transportation, and even dousing with water or bleach;
ROWENA R. TUASON

WHEREAS, both the DOH and the IATF called for the protection of these Covered Individuals, and sought the assistance of the
local government unit to enact measures to prevent these crimes;
City Mayor

WHEREAS, it is the City’s mandate to keep peace and order within its territorial jurisdiction and to bring before the law those who
violate the same.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Masbate, in special session duly assembled:

Be it ordained by the Sangguniang Panlungsod of the City of Masbate, in regular session assembled, that:

SECTION 1. TITLE. This Ordinance shall be known as the “Anti-COVID-19 Discrimination Ordinance of 2020 in the City of
Masbate”.

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In the City of Masbate Ordinance No. 244-2020
 SECTION 2. WHO ARE COVERED INDIVIDUALS. The following persons are Covered Individuals as defined by this
Ordinance:
Secretary to the Sangguniang Panlungsod

A. Recovered Person. A person who was either falls under Probable or Confirmed Cases who has made a
recovery, and who was subsequently discharged from the public or private hospital, clinic, or center by the
DANNY A. FUNELAS

attending physician.

B. Suspect Case. The following may be considered a “suspect case” of COVID-19:

(a) A person with severe acute respiratory illness – fever of 38°C or higher, cough or sore
throat, shortness of breath, and may even include severe pneumonia – whose cause is
undetermined prior to testing for the COVID-19.
(b) A person with influenza-like illness – fever of 38°C or higher, and cough or sore throat –
and who lives in or has travelled to an area that reported local transmission of the COVID-
19 during the 14 days prior to the onset of symptoms.

(c) A person with influenza-like illness and has had contact with a confirmed or probable case
(see definition of “probable case”) of COVID-19 in the two days prior to the onset of that
confirmed/probable case’s illness or before that confirmed/probable case showed
negative on repeat testing.
RUBY SANCHEZ-MORANO

(d) A person with fever or cough or shortness of breath or other respiratory symptoms and is
one of the following: 60 years old or older; with a co-morbidity or pre-existing illness; in
Vice Mayor/ Author

high-risk pregnancy; a health worker.

C. Probable Case. A “probable case” of COVID 19 is:

(a) A person who has been tested for COVID-19 but the results is inconclusive.

(b) A person who has tested positive for COVID-19 but the test was not conducted in a
national or sub nationalCOVID-19 reference laboratory, or an officially accredited
laboratory for confirmatory testing.

D. Confirmed Case. A person may be considered a “confirmed case” of COVID-19 only if they were tested at a
national or subnational reference laboratory, or at a DOH-certified laboratory testing facility.

E. Health Workers. All persons who are engaged in health and health-related work, and all persons employed
in all hospitals, sanitaria, health infirmaries, health centers, rural health units, barangay health stations,
clinics and other health-related establishments owned and operated by the Government or its political
City Councilor/Temporary Presiding Officer

subdivisions with original charters and shall include medical, allied health professional, administrative and
support personnel employed regardless of their employment status.
RODOLFO C. ABELLA

F. Frontliners. Are persons who are:

(a) Officers and members of the PNP, AFP, PCG, and other government instrumentalities
rendering emergency frontline services; border control and other critical services;
(b) Barangay officials including Tanods;
(c) Local Government Officials and employees called upon to render service during this
period of national health emergency;
(d) Service workers in private est6ablishments providing basic necessities and such activities
related to food and medicine production. i.e. public markets, supermarkets, groceries,
convenience stores, hospitals, medical clinics, pharmacies and drugstores, food
preparation and delivery services, water-refilling stations, manufacturing and processing
plants of basic food products and medicines, banks, money transfer services, power,
energy, telecommunications and water supplies and other related facilities, including their
security guards and janitors, garbage collectors and street sweepers;
(e) Employees of publicly and privately-owned crematorium and funeral parlors;
(f) Repackers for the City’s food distribution; and
(g) Drivers of the City and the City Council’s “LibrengSakay” services.

G. Other Individuals. Are persons who are:

ROWENA R. TUASON

(a) Repatriated overseas Filipino workers and seafarers; and

(b) Those persons who have availed of the “Balik Probinsya Program” and “Locally Stranded
City Mayor

Individuals (LSI’s) Program”

H. Other persons whose employment has called them to report for duty during national health emergency.

All “Covered Individuals” should have complied with all the required documents based on the existing laws,
regulations and issuances by authorized offices before he/she may be covered by this Ordinance.
Anti-Covid-19 Discrimination Ordinance of 2020 Page 3 of 3 pages
In the City of Masbate Ordinance No. 244-2020
SECTION 3. UNLAWFUL ACTS. It shall be unlawful for any person, whether natural or juridical, to commit any of the
following act/s against Covered Individuals as defined under this Ordinance:

A. Make utterances or posting in any social media platforms which causes or tends to cause the Covered
Individuals’ discrimination, stigma, disgrace, shame, insult, or harassment, including the unauthorized
disclosure of their names and/or place of residence to other people;
B. Unauthorized disclosure of their names and/or place of residence in social media, or any person who shall
publicly claim, post on social media, spread or announce that a person is infected or a person falls under
suspect, probable or confirmed cases, whether or not the same has been confirmed or validated from the
list given by authorized proper health officials, agency or department, shall also be liable under this section.
If the person violating is a public officer, the penalty imposed shall be in its maximum and may be a ground
for filing an administrative case against said official EXCEPT when the patient concerned waived his/her
right to privacy and for purposes of contact tracing and other medical purposes;
C. Commit any act of violence against them or any of their family member/s;
D. Prohibit their return to their residences even after obtaining clearance from the proper health officials/offices;
E. Refuse to render them service or assistance solely due to their status as Covered Individuals as defined
herein; and
F. Refuse to allow them entry in private establishments providing basic necessities solely due to their status as
Covered Individuals as defined herein.

SECTION 4. PENALTIES. Any person who commits any of the acts under Section 3 hereof shall suffer a fine of Five
Thousand Pesos (Php5,000.00) or imprisonment of not exceeding six (6) months or both at the discretion of the
court. If the offender is a public officer, the maximum penalty herein shall be imposed.

If any of the acts under Section 3 herein is committed by a juridical person, the President, General Manager, its
directors or any person with related interest in the corporation, partnership, or association shall be held liable.

SECTION 5. REPEALING CLAUSE. Any provision/s of an ordinance, rules and regulations and/or any part/s thereof
inconsistent with the provision/s of this ordinance are hereby repealed and/or modified accordingly.

SECTION 6. SEPARABILITY CLAUSE. If any provision or part thereof is held invalid or unconstitutional, the other parts of this
ordinance not otherwise affected shall remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 7. EFFECTIVITY CLAUSE. This Ordinance shall take effect 15 days after publication in a newspaper with local
circulation of after posting in three conspicuous public places.

ADOPTED, June 9, 2020.

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We hereby certify to the correctness of the foregoing resolution which was duly adopted by the Sangguniang Panlungsod during its
47th Regular Session on June 9, 2020.

RUBY M. SANCHEZ - MORANO DANNY A. FUNELAS

Vice Mayor/ Author Secretary to the Sangguniang Panlungsod

ATTESTED AND CERTIFIED

TO BE DULY ADOPTED:

RODOLFO C. ABELLA
City Councilor / Temporary Presiding Officer

Approved on ______________________
(Date)

ROWENA R. TUASON
City Mayor

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In the City of Masbate Ordinance No. 244-2020