President Duterte Reverses IATF Decision; Children Aged 10-14 Still Not Allowed To Go Out

“Balik kayo sa bahay muna. It’s a sacrifice for parents and children, it’s a time when they are playful. It limits their movements,” Duterte said in a speech on Monday evening.



President Rodrigo Duterte has stopped the decision of the Inter-Agency Task Force on COVID-19 (IATF) to allow children aged 10-14 years old to go out of their homes in areas under the Modified General Community Quarantine or MGCQ.

The President said that the order will stay until the vaccination program has been rolled out.

“Order will subsist until such time that everybody is safe by the bakuna,” Duterte said.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement last week: “The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) approved the recommendation to relax age-based restrictions for areas placed under Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) beginning February 1, 2021.”

The Trade Department earlier proposed to ease the age limit to help or boost economic activities.

Currently, people aged 15 to 65 years old are allowed to leave their homes. Meanwhile, those who are not covered by the age restrictions could only go out of their homes to access essential items and services.

“Any person below ten (10) years old and those who are over sixty-five (65) years of age shall be required to remain in their residence at all times,” the official said.