Quarantine passes not required in GCQ

MANILA, Philippines — Quarantine passes are no longer required under the general community quarantine (GCQ) but local government units can still impose this requirement under localized lockdowns, according to the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

DILG Secretary Eduardo Año yesterday said quarantine passes would not be required anymore as part of the easing of movement restrictions to reopen the economy under the GCQ.

Año said despite the shift to GCQ, some restrictions are still in place such as curfew or limiting movement to work only or essential travel.

“But quarantine pass may still be required by LGUs in selected places under their jurisdiction,” he said in Filipino. 

The DILG chief said the country is not yet back to normal as the coronavirus pandemic is still without a cure or vaccine.

LGUs have been empowered to impose lockdowns on smaller barangays and communities identified as high-risk areas.

Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said workers are not required to carry a travel authority when they are outside Metro Manila.

Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, PNP deputy chief for operations, said people, especially from provinces adjacent to Metro Manila, would be allowed by policemen manning quarantine control points (QCPs) to enter the metropolis even if they are not carrying a travel authority.

“Their company identification cards and other proof of employment issued by concerned government agencies are enough to pass the QCPs,” he said in a statement.

Eleazar said a travel authority is only for locally stranded individuals who want to return to their hometowns.