MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) will set up one-stop shops for faster processing of documents needed by locally stranded individuals or LSIs who want to return to their provinces.
The PNP has instructed its units to coordinate with local government units (LGUs) to put up the one-stop shops in their respective areas.
PNP deputy chief for operations Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar yesterday said the shops are located at municipal and city halls for easier access.
He said the shops would help stranded commuters get a medical clearance certificate and travel authority, the two documents needed before being granted passage to their hometowns.
“The one-stop shop shall provide prompt and efficient assistance to all LSIs within their area of responsibility, particularly in securing medical clearance certificate and travel authority,” he said in a statement.
People from other localities were stranded when President Duterte imposed lockdown measures last March to contain the coronavirus
disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak.
They have since been having a hard time returning to their hometowns because of the strict health and safety protocols imposed by LGUs to prevent the virus from spreading.
Local chief executives were also instructed to designate a hotline number in their respective shops in order to reach out to the stranded.
Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto proposed yesterday that the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) should immediately relieve the overworked police force of the burden of issuing travel passes to stranded commuters who want to travel to the provinces.
IATF rules require travelers to secure a travel authority from the police if they are not included in the exempted groups who will travel outside their province.
The police should be relieved of the duty to issue travel passes that is a clerical job that draws them away from their more important responsibilities, Recto said.
“The most important requirement is the medical certificate issued by a public health doctor. The pass issued by the police has no probative value,” Recto said.
Over 100 individuals were flown back home to their provinces after weeks of being stranded in Metro Manila.
The Army yesterday sent off a total of 102 LSIs in coordination with airline companies.
The LSIs were temporarily sheltered at the Philippine Army (PA) Wellness Center since last week.
There are still 254 individuals accommodated at PA facilities, according to Lt. Col Ramon Zagala, Army spokesman.
Domestic flights
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) directed local carriers to first secure permits from LGUs where they would operate domestic flights before the airlines are authorized to fly to any of the 26 reopened airports.
CAAP spokesman Eric Apolonio said the domestic carriers should apply for a time slot for their flights to allow a window time of at least three hours from arrival to departure to ensure physical distancing inside the pre-departure and arrival areas are enforced as a safety measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
He also said the CAAP does not object to requests for more domestic flights provided that the LGUs in their respective destinations shall approve the entry of the flights.
Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Cebu Pacific (CEB) should apply for time slots for their flights for the window time of at least three hours.
Apolonio said that Merry Hope Mirano, head of the Cebu Pacific Legazpi City station, sent a letter of request to Cynthia Tumanut, CAAP Region V area manager, requesting if they could start one flight a day starting on July 1.
CEB is requesting to mount daily flights to and from Legazpi and the proposed schedule to avoid simultaneous arrival with PAL flights.
CEB requests Manila-Legazpi-Manila flights departing Manila at 2:55 p.m. and arriving in Legazpi at 4:15 p.m., and leaving Legazpi 4:45 p.m. and arriving Manila at 6:05 p.m. the same day.
Apolonio said that Legazpi airport is one of the 26 airports in the country allowed by the LGU and the IATF to operate with different documentary and passenger restrictions.
The 26 airports that CAAP allowed to operate also secured permit from the LGUs with the enforcement of safety measures against COVID-19.
The airports allowed to operate include Romblon, Naga, Manila International, Clark International, Cauayan, Palanan, Languindingan, Dipolog, Pagadian, Jolo, Borongan, Antique, Masbate, Mactan-Cebu International, Cotobato, Zamboanga, Davao International, General Santos, Puerto Princesa International, Tacloban, Legazpi, Ormoc, Catbalogan, San Jose, Catarman and Ozamiz airports.
The Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Clark and Cebu, Caticlan and San Vicente airports have separate authorization.
Officials said the Basco, Virac, Busuanga and San Vicente airports are expected to reopen on July 1. Surigao airport will reopen in August and Siargao airport on Sept. 1.
The 17 airports not yet allowed for commercial operations include Dumaguete, Camiguin, Sanga-Sanga, Bohol-Pangalao, Marinduque, Bacolod Silay, Iloilo International Airport, Butuan, Kalibo International Airport, Roxas, Caticlan, Maasim, Hilongos, Guiuan, Laoag International Airport, Tuguegarao and Calbayog.
The Boracay Inter-agency Task Force announced that the country’s top tourist destination would reopen but only for tourists coming from Western Visayas.
PAL also reminded passengers that based on IATF guidelines only Filipino citizens, foreigners joining their Filipino spouses and dependents and foreign diplomats are allowed to enter areas under general community quarantine (GCQ).
The IATF directed passengers of international flights arriving in the Philippines to comply with stricter quarantine and testing procedures for all arriving passengers.
Upon arrival, all passengers will undergo a swab test (RT-PCR for Covid-19) to be performed by trained personnel from the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ).
While awaiting test results, passengers would stay either in a government-designated quarantine facility or in a BOQ approved quarantine hotel.
Payment for accommodation in a government-designated quarantine facility for land-based OFWs would be shouldered by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration while the Maritime Industry Authority or the local manning agency would pay for accommodation of sea-based OFWs.
Non-OFWs and foreign travelers will pay for their own accommodation. Paolo Romero, Rudy Santos, Romina Cabrera