Republic of the Philippines

Province of Sorsogon
OFFICE OF THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNOR
Sorsogon Capitol Compound

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 43-2020

PROVIDING FOR REVISED GUIDELINES IN THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF A CONTROL SYSTEM OF MANDATORY
QUARANTINING AND CHECKPOINTS UNDER THE MODIFIED
GENERAL COMMUNITY QUARANTINE (MGCQ) IN THE
PROVINCE OF SORSOGON AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

WHEREAS, on 16 March 2020, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte

(PRRD) issued Proclamation No. 929 declaring a State of Calamity over
the entire Philippines and imposing an Enhanced Community Quarantine
(ECQ) over Luzon;

WHEREAS, on 24 April 2020, PRRD approved the recommendation

of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) which classified Sorsogon as a “low-
risk area” thereby placing the Province of Sorsogon under a “Low” General
Community Quarantine (GCQ) from April 30, 2020 to May 15, 2020;

WHEREAS, PRRD and the IATF, among others, recently classified

and placed the Province of Sorsogon under Modified General Community
Quarantine (MGCQ);

WHEREAS, there is a continuing need to provide guidelines, in

accordance with IATF policies, in order to keep all Sorsoganons safe and
the Province COVID-19-free;

NOW, THEREFORE I, FRANCIS JOSEPH G. ESCUDERO,

Governor of the Province of Sorsogon, by virtue of the powers vested in me
by law, do hereby order the following:

Section 1. Mandatory Mass Quarantining and Isolation. – ALL

PERSONS, coming in the territorial jurisdiction of the Province of
Sorsogon, except those with a Letter of Exemption signed by the Provincial
Governor, shall be considered and classified as Persons Under Monitoring
(PUM) or Persons Under Investigation (PUI); Provided that: all PUMs
shall be subject to a mandatory 14-day home quarantine while all PUIs
shall be subject to a 14-day quarantine at a government facility, unless
sooner discharged by the PHO/MHO in accordance with the algorithm of
the Province; Provided further that: Authorized Persons Outside of
Residence (APOR) shall be issued an LOE prior to or upon entering the
Province by merely presenting of his Identification Card that he is an
APOR, subject to the following guidelines, to wit:

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a) ALL persons entering the Province of Sorsogon shall undergo a
mandatory 14-day home quarantine, unless he/she can present a
certificate of completion of such 14-day quarantine from any
authorized government officer after which he/she went straight to
the Province of Sorsogon and had no further exposure after
his/her 14-day quarantine or a Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase
Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) or Rapid Test Kit (RTK) result showing
that he/she is not positive with COVID-19 within seven (7) days
from entry; or

b) Any person undergoing a 14-day mandatory quarantine, at a

government facility, may choose to undergo at his/her personal
expense, an RTK test witnessed or done by an authorized
government personnel or by an authorized private laboratory on
the 6th day of quarantine; Provided that: he/she has been
asymptomatic for at least 3 days; Provided further that: if the
antibody test result is NEGATIVE for IgM, regardless of IgG result,
he/she shall be allowed to continue and complete the remaining
days of his 14-day quarantine at home, duly endorsed to and
monitored by BHERT and shall be given by the City/Municipal
Health Officer a Certificate of Quarantine Completion; Provided
finally that: if the antibody test result is POSITIVE for IgM,
regardless of IgG result, he/she shall continue as facility
quarantine and will be referred to the PESU for re-assessment for
possible confirmatory test by RT-PCR subject to compliance with
the DOH Algorithm;

c) ALL drivers and porters (pahinante) of delivery trucks in transit to

Visayas and Mindanao or Masbate or from those areas to Manila
or any point of the Philippines shall be allowed to enter the
Province of Sorsogon BUT shall not be allowed to disembark from
their trucks or vehicles from the time they enter the Province until
they board the ferry boat or fastcraft or leave the territorial
jurisdiction of the Province; Provided that: the checkpoint at the
borders of the Province of Sorsogon shall issue a GCQ Transit
Pass (GCQ-TP) to such truck and shall put a sticker and tape on
the door AND window of such truck which shall serve as a seal
which the driver/porter cannot break until they leave the territorial
jurisdiction of the Province; Provided further that: The Provincial
Government, at such checkpoints, shall provide the driver/porter
with food or sandwiches and water and shall afford them the time
to answer the call of nature before entering the Province;
Provided finally that: Should there be a delay in the embarkation
of such delivery truck, the driver and porter shall be isolated in a
designated government facility in the Municipalities of Matnog or
Pilar, as the case may be, until such time that they shall have been
able to board the ferry boat or fastcraft en-route to his final
destination outside of the Province;

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d) ALL drivers and porters of delivery trucks who deliver goods with
Sorsogon as their final destination shall not be allowed to
disembark from their trucks or vehicles from the time they enter
the Province and shall be isolated by the private entity receiving
such delivery and shall limit any contact or interaction with them;
Provided that: checkpoints at the borders of the Province of
Sorsogon shall issue such truck/vehicle a GCQ Delivery Pass
(GCQ-DP) and shall put a sticker or tape on the door AND window
of such truck which shall serve as a seal which the driver/porter
cannot break until they reach their destination in Sorsogon;
Provided however that: such delivery truck shall leave within
TWENTY-FOUR (24) hours from entry to the Province and shall
surrender the GCQ-DP at the Provincial checkpoint of his point of
entry; Provided further that: the responsibility of implementing
this provision shall rest solely with the owner of the establishment
receiving the delivery who shall also be responsible for putting a
sticker and/or packing tape at the door and window of the truck
which shall serve as a seal which they cannot break until they
leave the territorial jurisdiction of the Province, subject to such
regulations as may be additionally imposed by the LGU such as a
singular and common delivery point or bagsakan and prohibition to
sell their wares to individual establishments; Provided finally
that: the PNP, PDRRMO, CDRRMO, MDRRMO and/or Barangay
concerned shall conduct random checks and/or inspections on
such private establishments to ensure their compliance with such
isolation and distancing guidelines;

e) ALL drivers and porters of delivery trucks from Sorsogon to any

point of the Philippines WHO ARE RESIDENTS OF SORSOGON
shall be allowed entry in the Province upon their return but shall do
home isolation or in a private facility of the owner of the truck or
vehicle until his next trip outside of Sorsogon and shall not be
allowed to roam around his barangay or community unless he
complies with the 14-day mandatory home quarantine; Provided
that: the checkpoint at the borders of the Province of Sorsogon
shall issue such truck/vehicle a GCQ Sorsogon Delivery Pass
(GCQ-SDP) and shall put a sticker or tape on the door AND
window of such truck which shall serve as a seal which the
driver/porter cannot break until they reach their destination in
Sorsogon; Provided further that: such delivery truck shall
surrender the GCQ-SDP at the Provincial checkpoint of his point of
entry upon leaving the territorial jurisdiction of the Province of
Sorsogon;

f) ALL residents of Sorsogon who are working in Albay, Camarines

Sur or any other place outside of Sorsogon, whether government
or private, are encouraged to either work from home or secure

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 accommodations at their place of work; Provided that: they shall
be subject to home isolation and/or quarantine each time they re-
enter the Province of Sorsogon; Provided further that: the same
rule as provided herein shall apply to residents of Albay,
Camarines Sur, or any other place outside the territorial jurisdiction
of the Province of Sorsogon who are working in the Province of
Sorsogon, whether public or private;

g) ALL patients and their companions coming from hospitals or

similar institutions outside of Sorsogon entering the province,
whether on board an ambulance or private or public vehicle shall
be issued an LOE and shall be subject to home isolation;
Provided that: the LGU, through the BHERT, shall ensure his/her
compliance with the home isolation; Provided further that: The
driver and Emergency Medical Team (EMT) that accompanied the
patient shall be fully protected and shall not disembark from the
ambulance or DRRMO vehicle while they are outside of the
Province; Provided finally that: after completion of the patient’s
treatment if he/she and their companions shall undergo a
mandatory 14-day home quarantine before being allowed to freely
move around his/her barangay and community;

h) The Barangays through the Barangay Health Emergency

Response Team (BHERT) and the Municipal/City DRRMO, under
the supervision of the Local Chief Executive (LCE) and with the
assistance of the PNP, are hereby tasked and directed to strictly
enforce the above provisions in case(s) of the arrival of ANY NEW
PERSON that may be found in their LGU or barangay and to
ensure that PUMs complete their 14-day home quarantine and the
transfer and/or transport of all such PUIs to a government
quarantine facility; Provided that: it shall be mandatory for LGUs
to accept PUIs sent to their respective quarantine facilities by the
PHO in accordance with this Section; Provided further that:
failure to obey, or the commission of any infraction, of any of the
above provisions by a private individual or government official or
employee shall be considered a violation of Sangguniang
Panlalawigan Ordinance No. 16-2020 and shall be arrested,
prosecuted, and penalized accordingly.

Section 2. Quarantine/Isolation Facility. – All Local Government

Units (LGUs) in the Province of Sorsogon shall identify, provide, and
maintain a quarantine AND isolation within their City/Municipality in
accordance with EO No. 30-2020 dated 30 March 2020 and shall, as far as
practicable, provide suitable accommodations for persons to be placed
under quarantine or isolation in accordance with the following guidelines:

a) LGUs shall strictly follow social distancing guidelines in each

quarantine facility which, at the very least, shall be not more than

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 one (1) PUI for every ten (10) square meters; Provided that: any
PUI showing severe symptoms or PUI that is “vulnerable” or has
co-morbidities shall be immediately transferred to a
quarantine/isolation facility of the Province in accordance with the
algorithm and triaging of the Province; Provided further that: the
Isolation Facility or Room shall be separate and/or segregated
from the Quarantine Facility or Room; Provided finally that: each
batch of PUIs shall be separated from each other in order to avoid
possible contamination and for purposes of counting compliance
with the mandatory 14-day quarantine; Provided however that: if
such PUIs mingle or are comingled with other batches, their 14-
day quarantine period shall start again from the date of arrival of
the latest batch that they mingled or comingled with;

b) The LGU concerned shall provide food, water and, as far as

practicable, a hygiene kit for each PUI and regular medical check-
ups and monitoring by a doctor, nurse or midwife, as the case may
be, until the end of their 14-day mandatory quarantine; Provided
that: the PNP and/or the Philippine Army (PA) shall provide the
necessary security at the said facility in order to ensure
compliance by all PUMs/PUIs of the quarantine guidelines set forth
above whereby no PUM/PUI shall be allowed to leave the
quarantine facility without the requisite Certificate of Completion
mentioned in paragraph (c) below;

c) Upon completion of the quarantine period as provided for in

Section 1 hereof, the Municipal/City/Provincial Health Officer
(MHO/CHO/PHO), as the case may be, shall issue a Certificate of
Quarantine Completion (CQC) to the said PUM/PUI which shall
entitle him/her to be discharged from the said quarantine facility or
home quarantine, as the case may be; Provided that: LGUs and
Barangays in the Province of Sorsogon shall respect and honor
genuine and valid CQCs issued by the Provincial/City/Municipal
Health Officers, the Department of Health (DOH); the Bureau of
Quarantine (BOQ); the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration
(OWWA), Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) and
any Government Health Facility showing proof of completion and
compliance with Section 1, paragraphs (a) or (b) hereinabove;
Provided further that: No certification shall be issued or required
for the driver or porter of a delivery truck or vehicle that was
isolated in a government isolation facility or by a private entity
before he is discharged or allowed to leave the Province;

d) The Municipal/City/Municipal Health Officer (CHO/MHO) of each

LGU shall submit to the Provincial Health Officer (PHO) a daily
report and accounting of all PUMs/PUIs that are under mandatory
quarantine in accordance with this section.

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 e) The Province/City/Municipality may, at its discretion, identify a
private hotel, motel or resort as an alternative quarantine facility at
the option and cost of the PUI as an alternative place where
he/she can be quarantined; Provided that: the provisions
contained in paragraphs (a) to (d) above shall likewise apply to
such alternative quarantine facility.

Section 3. Checkpoints and Control System for Persons and

Vehicles. - The Province shall establish checkpoints which shall be
principally in charge of implementing the control system provided for in
Sections 1 and 2 hereinabove for ALL persons and vehicles entering,
transiting and exiting the Province of Sorsogon subject to, and in
accordance with, the following guidelines, to wit:

a) A composite team comprised of the PNP, the PA, the Bureau of

Fire Protection (BFP) and/or the DRRMO shall establish and man
checkpoints in the following entry/exit points of the Province,

1) Barangay Putiao, Pilar;

2) Barangay Dancalan, Donsol;
3) Barangay Burabod, Bacon District, Sorsogon City;
4) Barangay Fabrica, Bulan; and
5) Matnog Port, Matnog

Provided that: Given the lack of personnel, all other entry/exit

points of the Province other than those mentioned above bordering
the Province of Sorsogon by road shall be blocked by a physical
barrier by the PA, PNP or the DRRMO thereby prohibiting the ingress
or egress of any truck or vehicle; Provided further that: the PNP
Highway Patrol Group (HPG) shall only be present in the checkpoints
at Putiao, Pilar and Matnog Port, Matnog and the Philippine Coast
Guard (PCG) shall, as far as practicable, only be present in all the
ports of the Province; Provided however that: only barangay tanods
or BHERT and, as far as practicable, DRRMO shall man the
checkpoints at Barangay Sta. Cruz and Barangay Banuang Gurang,
both in the Municipality of Donsol; Provided finally that: the
respective DRRMOs in the 1st District of Sorsogon and 2nd District of
Sorsogon, including the Provincial DRRMO (PDRRMO), shall, on
rotation basis, be assigned and designated by the PDRRMO, to form
part of the composite team that will man the checkpoints mentioned
above in their respective districts where the checkpoints are located;

b) No checkpoints shall be established and manned by the PNP, PA,

BFP, HPG, PCG, DRRMO, LGU, and Barangay that will impede
or hamper the passage of persons and vehicles merely passing
through their respective territorial jurisdictions other than those
checkpoints mentioned in paragraph (a) above; Provided
however that: this prohibition shall not apply to internal security

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 or counter-insurgency operations or checkpoints of the PNP or PA
and those of LGUs/Barangays in relation to the enforcement of
only the following:

1. Provincial Curfew Ordinances;

2. GCQ Guidelines, if any, issued by the Provincial Governor,
but only insofar as their respective constituents are
concerned;
3. African Swine Flu (ASF);
4. Task Force Quarry/Illegal Logging;
5. Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council (BADAC);
6. Such other checkpoints as may be deemed necessary by
the LCEs of the Municipalities of Donsol and Pilar in order to
enforce the Control System of the Province at its borders.

Provided finally that: no checkpoints bordering LGUs shall be

established, unless a COVID-19 positive case has been identified in
the adjacent or bordering LGU but only insofar as the lockdown
period is concerned in accordance with the provisions of EO No. 31-
2020 dated 7 April 2020 and subject to the approval of the Provincial
Governor;

c) All personnel manning the above-mentioned checkpoints SHALL

STRICTLY ENFORCE EACH AND EVERY PROVISION OF
SECTION 1 HEREOF; Provided that: all checkpoints shall keep
and maintain a logbook of all personnel on duty at specific times
and dates for proper and accurate contact-tracing in case they
encounter a COVID-19 positive individual and shall properly
endorse persons covered by Section 1 paragraphs (c), (d), (e), (f)
and (g) hereinabove to their counterparts at the point or port of
destination as provided herein;

d) The movement of all types of Cargoes, whether food or non-food

within, to, through and from the Province of Sorsogon from or to
any point of the Philippines shall be unhampered subject to
compliance with the provisions of Section 1 paragraphs (c), (d)
and (e) above; Provided that: all such delivery trucks and
vehicles shall only carry a maximum of FIVE (5) persons in
accordance with Department of Transportation (DOTr) guidelines
and shall not be allowed to transport any additional person or
persons; Provided further that: any cargo truck or vehicle that
carries more than FIVE (5) persons shall not be allowed entry in
the Province or, if discovered after entering the Province, shall be
immediately ordered to leave the Province and to return to his
point of origin outside the Province and cause the disembarkation
of such excess person(s) or personnel in order for such vehicle to
be allowed entry or re-entry into the Province of Sorsogon;
Provided however that: if the additional or excess passenger is

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 a resident of Sorsogon, he/she shall be considered as a PUM/PUI
and shall be immediately escorted to the appropriate government
facility and subjected to the provisions of Section 1 hereof;

e) No ECQ Pass or Vehicle Pass shall henceforth be required of any

person or vehicle leaving his/her residence; Provided that: the
identification card of personnel and vehicles that are exempt from
the Curfew Ordinance by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan
travelling within the Province of Sorsogon shall suffice; Provided
further that: the GCQ Passes issued during GCQ shall remain
valid and subsisting and shall be valid for travel within the
Province to ensure the unimpeded travel of persons and vehicles
that are exempt from the Curfew Ordinance; Provided finally
that: Such GCQ Pass SHALL NOT AND CANNOT be used to
enter the Province of Sorsogon without complying with Section 1
hereof;

f) All the checkpoints mentioned above shall honor and respect the
Letters of Exemption that may be issued and signed by the
Provincial Governor and/or the Provincial Administrator in
accordance with Section 1 hereinabove stating, among others,
the identity and purpose of the person(s) granted such exemption;
Provided that: in the absence of any such letter of exemption,
the personnel manning the checkpoints may seek the guidance of
the Office of the Governor or Office of the Provincial Administrator
which may give a verbal order or guidance to them as may be
appropriate; Provided finally that: in case of doubt or absence of
guidance, the personnel manning the checkpoints shall resolve it
in favor of applying the provisions of Section 1 paragraph (a) or
(b) hereof;

g) All personnel manning checkpoints shall be courteous, hospitable

and shall avoid any harsh language or tone in dealing with
anyone. They shall, at all times, put the human rights and
convenience of the persons they are dealing with in mind.

Section 4. How to Deal with Violators. – Any person who violates

the provisions of this Executive Order shall be dealt with as follows, to wit:

a) Any violation of Sections 1 and 2 shall be dealt with in accordance

with the provisions of Sangguniang Panlalawigan Ordinance No.
16-2020;

b) Any violation of Section 3 shall be dealt with administratively by

the government office/agency concerned having administrative
supervision and control over such violator without prejudice to the
Provincial Government initiating such or similar proceedings,
including violation of Republic Act No. 11469 otherwise known as

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 the “Bayanihan to Heal as One Act,” as may be applicable or
relevant;

Section 5. Incorporation Clause. - All laws, legal orders, rules and

regulations that have been issued and/or will be issued by the duly
constituted authorities of the Republic of the Philippines in relation COVID-
19 and the Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) are hereby
incorporated herein and made an integral part hereof. In case of conflict,
such laws, legal orders, rules and regulations shall have precedence over
the provisions of this Executive Order.

Section 6. Repealing Clause. - Any Administrative or Executive

Order previously issued as well as those that have been issued or will be
issued by LCEs that are inconsistent with the provisions of this Executive
Order shall be considered repealed, amended or modified accordingly and
shall be invalid within the Province of Sorsogon as well as its component
LGUs and Barangays in accordance with Executive Order No. 23-2020
dated 23 March 2020.

Section 7. Effectivity. - This Executive Order shall take effect at

12:00 AM of 01 June 2020 and shall remain valid and in effect in the entire
Province unless otherwise amended, modified or repealed by a subsequent
Executive Order.

DONE, this 1st day of June, 2020 at the City of Sorsogon, Province
of Sorsogon.

FRANCIS JOSEPH G. ESCUDERO

Governor

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