MANILA – Metro Manila and 62 other places in the country will remain under the most lenient Alert Level 1 classification until June 15, Malacañang said Friday.

This, after the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) approved Thursday the new alert levels from June 1 to 15, acting Deputy Presidential Spokesperson and Communications Undersecretary Michel Kristian Ablan said in a virtual presser.

For Luzon, Abra, Apayao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Baguio City, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Dagupan City, Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva VIzcaya, Quirino, City of Santiago, Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Angeles City, Olongapo City, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Lucena City, Marinduque,

Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, Puerto Princesa City, Albay, Catanduanes, Naga City will stay under Alert Level 1.

The IATF-EID has also retained the Alert Level 1 status in Aklan, Capiz, Guimaras, Bacolod City, Iloilo City, Siquijor, Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, Biliran, Eastern Samar, Southern Leyte, Ormoc City, and Tacloban City.

Davao Oriental has been added to the list of areas in Mindanao that will be placed under Alert Level 1 from June 1 to 15.

Other places in Mindanao that will remain under Alert Level 1 include Zamboanga City, Bukidnon, Camiguin, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Cagayan de Oro City, Iligan City, Davao City, Surigao del Sur and Butuan City.

The component cities and municipalities where Alert Level 1 will be imposed from June 1 to 15 are as follows:

*Region 4-B: Looc, Occidental Mindoro
*Region 5: Pamplona, Camarines Sur and Mandaon, Masbate
*Region 8: Villaba, Leyte
*Region 9: Salug, Zamboanga del Norte and Lapuyan, Zamboanga del Sur
*Region 11: Nabunturan and New Bataan in Davao de Oro
*Caraga: San Francisco, Agusan del Sur; Dinagat, Dinagat Islands; and Mainit, Surigao del Norte

The following provinces, highly urbanized cities (HUCs), and independent component cities (ICCs) will be under Alert Level 2:

*Cordillera Administrative Region: Benguet, Ifugao
*Region 4-A: Quezon Province
*Region 4-B: Occidental Mindoro and Palawan
*Region 5: Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Masbate, and Sorsogon
*Region 6: Antique and Negros Occidental
*Region 7: Bohol, Cebu, and Negros Oriental
*Region 8: Leyte, Northern Samar and Western Samar
*Region 9: City of Isabela, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga Sibugay
*Region 10: Lanao del Norte
*Region 11: Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Davao de Oro and Davao Occidental
*Region 12: General Santos City, North Cotabato, Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat and South Cotabato
*Caraga: Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands and Surigao del Norte
*BARMM: Basilan, Cotabato City, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

The alert level classifications of component cities and municipalities under IATF-EID Resolutions 165-G, 166-A, 167-A, 167-C, and 167-F not affected by the new resolution will remain in effect until June 15.

Medical insurance for students repealed

Meanwhile, Ablan said the IATF-EID also approved the recommendation of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to repeal the medical insurance for students.

Prior to the IATF-EID’s latest decision, students who are participating in limited face-to-face (F2F) classes must be registered with the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), either as a direct or indirect contributor, based on the joint memorandum circular of the CHED and the Department of Health (DOH).

Under the Joint Memorandum Circular 2021-004 of the CHED and DOH, higher education institutions (HEIs) are mandated to ensure that students are either PhilHealth members or have equivalent medical insurance that covers medical expenses related to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

The circular also requires HEIs to facilitate the necessary medical treatment or procedures for affected students, in case a student gets infected by Covid-19 brought about by his or her participation in the limited F2F classes. (PNA)