ILOILO City – The quarantine passes that local government units are issuing to people through various barangay councils are free and not for sale, stressed Director Ariel Iglesia of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Region 6.
Iglesia issued the clarification in answer to queries that his office received regarding the passes that allow one person from a household to leave the house to buy food and medicines, or travel due to necessity.
This city and all provinces in Panay Island are under an enhanced community quarantine to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
“Ang guidance lang natin sa department ay it should be free of charge at kung idi-distribute ‘yan, there should be social distancing, meaning ipadala nila sa bahay-bahay, hindi papuntahin sa barangay hall ang mga tao na hindi na-observe ang social distancing,” said Iglesia.
The barangay captain must designate barangay councilmen and the Barangay Health Emergency Response Team to do the distribution to households, he added.
“Actually,” said Iglesia, “the general guidance is that naka-home quarantine tayo so it the local government units that decide. Option ‘yan ng LGU if mag-decide sila na mag-issue ng quarantine pass.”
Limiting the movement of people aims to slow down if not prevent COVID-19 transmission.
In Iloilo province, starting yesterday LGUs through their barangay councils issued uniform “enhanced community quarantine passes.”
Mayors agreed to have a unified quarantine pass during a meeting with Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr.
Defensor sought for a uniform pass to avoid confusion and facilitate the movement of people between towns and to Iloilo City after noting that each local government unit has its own format of the pass.
According to Mayor Mediatrix Fernandez of San Enrique and president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) Iloilo Chapter, the enhanced community quarantine pass may be used by people to go out to:
* buy basic household essentials
* buy medicines/health essentials
* go to work or do business in line with Executive Order (EO) No. 080 of Defensor (“An order enforcing an enhanced community quarantine over the entire province of Iloilo for stronger protection against the coronavirus disease 2019).”
In Iloilo City on March 21, Mayor Jerry Treñas also announced that a quarantine pass is needed if people – only one per household – want to go out to buy food or medicines, and the pass would be issued by barangay councils.
Iloilo City has 180 barangays./PN
