QUEZON CITY-- The National Capital Region (NCR) will be placed under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) status from August 6 to 20 in an effort to counter the spread of the highly transmissible Delta variant of COVID-19. This is pursuant to Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) Resolution 130-A approved by President Rodrigo Duterte.

During ECQ, film, music, and television production and all other production activities in NCR are not allowed. Other ECQ areas from August 1 to 7 are Iloilo City, Iloilo province, Gingoog City, and Cagayan de Oro City.

From July 30 until August 5, NCR is under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) subject to heightened and additional restrictions, which allows film, music, and TV productions to operate with a maximum of 50 persons at any given time but must not exceed 100 persons all day.

“In as much as we are hoping for our film and audiovisual industry to bounce back from the many challenges due to the pandemic, production activities in ECQ areas need to be put on hold again as a preventive measure to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, especially its Delta variant,” said Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño.

“As for areas under MECQ, GCQ, and MCQ, productions may continue provided that there is strict adherence to the operational capacities and health and safety protocols set by the government,” Diño added.

According to the Department of Trade and Industry Memorandum Circular No. 21-14, Series of 2021, film, music, and TV productions and activities are allowed to operate at 50% under modified ECQ (MECQ), while they are permitted to operate at 100% capacity under GCQ and modified GCQ (MGCQ). 

From August 1 to 15, MECQ areas are Ilocos Norte, Bataan, Cebu City, Cebu province, Lapu-Lapu City, and Mandaue City, with Cebu City and Cebu province subject to appeals by their local government units.

GCQ with heightened restrictions will be in place from August 1 to 15 in Cagayan, Ilocos Sur, Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, Lucena City, Naga City, Aklan, Antique, Bacolod City, Capiz, Negros Oriental, Misamis Oriental, Davao City, Davao del Norte, Davao Occidental, Davao de Oro, Butuan City, and Zamboanga del Sur.

From August 1 to 31, GCQ will be in effect in Apayao, Baguio City, Isabela, Santiago City, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Quezon, Batangas, Puerto Princesa, Guimaras, Negros Occidental, Davao Oriental, Davao del Sur, Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay, General Santos City, Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat, North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Cotabato City, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, and Dinagat Islands.

The rest of the Philippines will be under MGCQ for the whole month of August.

The FDCP, through its Safe Filming Program, enjoins all film and audiovisual productions to abide by the government’s prescribed safety and health protocols amid the pandemic. Productions can register with the FDCP’s Safe Filming Program so that the national film agency may assist and guide them as they operate in the new normal.

To know more about the safety and health protocols for production shoots and audiovisual activities in community quarantine areas, read the DTI-DOLE-DOH JAO 2021-0001 at http://bit.ly/OmnibusGuidelinesNFVPforCovid19 or visit www.safefilming.ph.(FDCP)