Labella clarifies: Restrictions only for entry of non-Cebu residents

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Residents of Cebu Province who will be working on transacting in Cebu City need not worry that they will be asked for more documents aside from their identification cards (ID), certificate of employment, and/or appointment papers.

This after Mayor Edgardo Labella issued the amendatory Executive Order (EO) No. 105-A specifying that the additional requirements stated in EO No. 105  are actually only for non-Cebu residents.

All residents within Cebu Province and Metro Cebu need not comply with the earlier released EO.

In EO No. 105, Cebu City-bound travelers will be asked to secure an Authority to Enter (ATE), which they can access through the city government’s website. It will take effect this November 20, 2020.

All travelers will also need a reversed transcript-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test that will be presented with the ATE.

The first EO released did not specify that only individuals traveling to Cebu City from outside of Cebu will be needing these documents, drawing flak from netizen.

In the amendatory EO, Labella stated that only individuals from outside Cebu Province and Metro Cebu will apply for the ATE, while those from Cebu only need their usual border documents.

“These guidelines shall be applicable to all persons who intend to travel to Cebu City from other provinces outside Cebu Province via the airports and seaports. The guidelines shall not cover persons coming from other local government units within the Cebu Province, as well as returning or repatriated Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), and Returning Overseas Filipino,” said a portion of EO 105-A.

This means that all individuals arriving in the ports will need to get an ATE and coordinate with the barangay of destination to enter Cebu City.

/bmjo