President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Thursday approved the nationwide rollout of the COVID-19 alert system following its pilot testing in Metro Manila.

President Duterte issued Executive Order 151, which said, “The Alert Level System (ALS) is hereby adopted for nationwide rollout, to be undertaken in 4 phases.”

The pilot areas in which the ALS is already being carried out will be considered part of the first phase of the nationwide implementation. Other regions will follow in succeeding phases:

Phase 1: National Capital Region, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Northern Mindanao, and Davao Region

Phase 2: Ilocos Region, Eastern Visayas, and Soccsksargen

Phase 3: Cagayan Valley, Bicol Region, and Zamboanga Peninsula

Phase 4: Cordillera Administrative Region, Mimaropa, Caraga Region, and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)

“The shift to Phase 2 may begin at any time after the effectivity of this Order, as may be determined by the IATF, but not later than the end of November 2021,” President Duterte’s order read.

“The succeeding phases shall then commence every week thereafter until full nationwide implementation.”

The guidelines on the implementation of ALS for COVID-19 response in pilot areas with the amendments approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) will be adopted as the overall guidelines for ALS nationwide rollout.

“The IATF is hereby authorized to amend or modify such guidelines as may be necessary to achieve the objectives of the ALS, without need of further approval of the President,” the order said.

In issuing the EO, President Duterte also mandated all departments, agencies of the government, including state college and universities, government-owned or controlled corporations, government financial institutions, and local government units (LGUs) to cooperate with the IATF and mobilize resources for the implementation of ALS. PND