As more industries were given the green light to open for business, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) today reiterated that only locally-stranded individuals (LSIs) and returning Overseas Filipinos (ROFs) are required to get a travel authority from the Philippine National Police (PNP) while employees reporting back to work need only to show their company IDs.
DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Año said that workers in essential industries that are allowed to operate should only show their Company IDs or other certificates at PNP quarantine control points (QCPs) and they will be allowed to pass.
“Hindi na nila (employees returning to work) kailangan ng travel authority. Sapat na na ipakita nila ang kanilang company ID o certificate of employment sa mga QCPs bilang patunay na sila ay Authorized Person Outside of Residence (APOR),” Año said. “Ang requirement na ito ay para lang sa mga stranded individuals o returning overseas Filipinos,” he added.
Año made this statement after the DILG 24/7 Emergency Operations Center and DILG Philippines official social media account were flooded with queries about travel passes. The Department has also been receiving feedback from the DILG Regional and Field Offices that workers endured very long queues just to get travel authority before they can report back to work.
He cited an incident in Rodriguez, Rizal where residents in Rodriguez, Rizal endured two days of very long queues just to get travel pass so they can report back to work in Metro Manila. He said that the Department has already coordinated with Rizal LGUs to correct this wrong practice and provide them with guidance on this matter.
He said that company IDs or certificates of employment will serve as their travel authority.
“Kung kayo po ay papasok sa trabaho, ipakita niyo lang ang inyong company ID o anumang dokumento na nagpapatunay na kayo ay nagtatrabaho sa isang industriyang pinapahintulutan ng IATF na mag-operate,” he said.
According to him, the security personnel on duty have a list of allowed industries to operate which will be matched with the company ID presented by the employees to be allowed passage through security points.
Among the list of industries allowed to operate during the MECQ and GCQ are food and agriculture, manufacturing, utilities, banks and money-transfer agencies. The government is studying whether to allow dine-in in restaurants and whether to allow the reopening of barbershops and beauty salons as long as strict quarantine protocols are observed.
For stranded individuals and OFs, DILG Spokesperson and Undersecretary Jonathan E. Malaya said they should first secure their travel authority from their local police station and a medical clearance from the city/municipal health office before being allowed to go back to their home town.
“Upon the directive of Secretary Año, the PNP has set up help desks in all police stations across the country to assist all stranded individuals. You just need to submit your medical clearance from the City/Municipal Health Office as supporting document,” he said.
Malaya also clarified that all returning OFWs who tested negative and have the test results with them no longer need to be quarantined in the LGU of destination. “Only in cases where the OFW has incomplete documents should he/she be quarantined while waiting for the results. But the results are already on-line so there shouldn’t be a problem anymore,” he said.
He assured that all stranded individuals shall be allowed entry to their respective places as long as they have all the supporting documents with them.
