The Davao City coastal road which stretches from Bago Aplaya to Barangay Talomo is now open to the public but only for walking, biking and exercise activities in limited hours daily.
Speaking over Davao City Disaster Radio Friday, Public Safety and Security Command Center Head Angel Sumagaysay said that the children’s playground and skating rink are still a work in progress and may open soon.
He said the allowed activities in the area are walking, biking, playing, jogging, exercising, and skating from 5:00 to 8:00 in the morning and from 3:00 to 7:00 in the afternoon to early evening.
Vehicles and motorcycles are still not allowed to use the road, however, there are designated parking areas in the esplanade.
According to Sumagaysay, directional signs have been provided by the City Transportation and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO).
“Pero mag-ingat sila kay naa pa didto ang development sa atoang mga park. Para safe, mag-parking lang sila, then saka sa coastal road mismo, ayaw diha sa mga park (They have to be careful because there are still developments in the park. To be safe, after parking, they must immediately proceed to the road and must not go to the park),”Sumagaysay added.
He said that the city has also deployed teams to monitor the area consisting of River Patrol, Coastal Monitoring Team, CTTMO, Davao City Police Office, Task Force Davao, and City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO).
The people on site will be constantly reminded to use the bike lanes instead of using the road for cycling. Bikers are also advised to use the bike lanes properly.
Sumagaysay said that minimum public health standards (MPHS) such as wearing of face mask, social distancing, washing of hand with soap and water, or frequent sanitizing of hands are to be observed and to be strictly monitored in the area.
While the children are highly discouraged in public places under the Alert Level 3 guidelines Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for COVID-19, Sumagaysay said they may be allowed for wellness and mental development provided they observe the IATF guidelines on the basic health measures.
“We discourage minors pero for mental wellness/development man pud so [allowed] provided nga sundon lang gyud nila unsa tong mga guidelines sa IATF (As much as possible we discourage minors but for mental development, so they can be allowed provided that they follow the IATF guidelines),” he said.
He added that the people visiting the area should also be responsible for keeping the area clean.
“Garbage bins are provided didto nato ilabay properly kay kita nga nagagamit kita una maka-appreciate if we can maintain the cleanliness of the coastal road (Garbage bins are provided. We should throw the garbage there properly because we as the users are the first ones to appreciate it if we can maintain the cleanliness of the coastal road),” he said.
He added that fishing, swimming, and bringing of pets are still to be discussed with the city department heads next week. CIO
