Interior Secretary Eduardo Año | Inquirer File Photo
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu — The public will no longer be required to bring with them their quarantine passes when they leave their homes starting this Monday, June 1, 2020, unless required by the local government units (LGUs).
But the curfew implementation will remain while the need for travel passes for those who will be crossing provinces will still be required.
“Hindi na po natin kailangan ng quarantine pass para payagang makalabas sa ating bahay pero hindi po ito ‘unli’ na kahit anong oras ay puwede. Patuloy pa rin po ang pagpapatupad ng curfew hours ng ating mga local government units (LGUs) at puwede rin pong i-require ang quarantine pass ng mga LGUs sa piling lugar sa kanilang nasasakupan,” said Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo M. Año.
In an advisory that was posted Sunday on the agency’s official Facebook page, Año said that the purpose of lifting the quarantine pass requirement and easing restrictions “is to be able to slowly restart our economy from the more than two-month enhanced community quarantine imposed in many areas of the country without compromising health protocols.”
“The country’s economy is hurting badly, many businesses have closed down and our people are finding it difficult to fend for their families having no source of income for the past two months. We need to reopen the economy without setting aside health protocols if we want to survive this pandemic as a people,” he said.
However, an exemption to the rule can be made if the LGUs would decide to still require quarantine passes in “high-risk” barangays known as critical zones and buffer zones that they are monitoring and doing contact-tracing activities.
“The general rule is hindi na kailangan ng quarantine pass pero may authority pa rin ang LGU na mag-impose ng lockdown at magrequire ng quarantine pass sa mga barangay or subdivision na sa assessment nila ay high-risk pa rin. Mayors should, therefore, announce thru their official social media accounts or whatever means kung required pa rin ang quarantine pass sa ilang lugar sa kanila,” the DILG Secreatry said.
The DILG advisory said that the easing of restrictions in Metro Manila and in other areas in the country that are under GCQ means that several industries will now be opening up to its 100 percent functionality,. However, this does not mean that everything is already back to normal.
“Although some restrictions will be relaxed, this does not mean that we can all go out leisurely and go about our day. Alamin pa rin natin kung ang dahilan ba ng inyong paglabas ay essential pa rin at hindi para mamasyal lang,” he said.
DILG Undersecretary and Spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said that those going across provinces and other regions in the country would still be required to present travel passes which could be secured at help desks of the nearest Philippine National Police (PNP) station.
Applicants will be asked to present a medical certificate that was issued by the City Health Office of the municipality where the traveller came from.
“Kung tatawid ng provincial or regional borders, ibang usapan na po iyon at kailangan na ng travel pass d’yan. Nasa public health emergency pa rin tayo and the government still needs to control the movement of people para hindi kumalat ang virus,” he said.
Malaya said that exemptions from the need to present travel passes will be extended to those who need to cross provincial and regional borders to pursue work-related matters.
“In such cases, they only need to present their company ID or documents from their office or company justifying the reason for such travel,” he said./dbs