Border Restrictions in Davao Region
The rising case of Covid19 patients prompted the Davao government to strictly implement border restrictions of whole Davao Region last May 14, 2021. Davao Region is Region XI composed of Davao City, Davao de Oro, Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental. The resolution cascaded is entitled Uniform Guidelines to Regulate Entry and Exit of Region XI.
Non-essential travellers need to present a negative Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction or RT PCR, better known as swab test which costs P4,000-P5,000 per person. The date of result should not lapse 72 hours on your travel date.
This caused emotional reactions from the people especially those who travel for work, for medical check ups, for visiting families. A lot were questioning the move, a lot were lambasting the government. There are so many questions from different people who intended to travel. It's good there are also a few people who are spreading awareness on the border restrictions through answering on the comment section and posting the memo on social media.
Residents of Davao Region who will go to another city or town but still a part of Davao Region do not need to present negative swab test, only IDs.
Authorized Personnel Outside Residence or APOR are those people who travel for work, government officials and employees on offical travel, health and emergency frontline services, NGOs, public utility vehicle drivers. They need only to present their company ID, Certificate of Employment, Employee Deployment letter or Travel Order.
Returning residents of Davao Region who stayed for more than 24 hrs in other places not in Region XI and OFWs need to present proof of residence, IDs and negative swab test result.
Non-residents of essential travel will be allowed to enter and stay in the region for only 24 hours maximum. Essential travel includes accessing essential goods and services, medical check ups and appointments. They will need to present IDs, business permits, travel order, or apppintment schedule.
Travellers who are just passing through the region need only to present IDs. They must declare in the border that they are just passing through and they will be allowed to stay in the region in a specified time. The entry border will be coordinating with the exit border that a traveller or vehicle is expected to pass through in a specific time.
Goods and cargoes will be allowed entry and exit in the region providing their travel documents are complete, they can provide IDs, and only 5 persons will be allowed in delivery trucks.
All tourists will need to present a negative result RT PCR taken within 72 hours of travel date, proof of hotel bookings, and the StaySafe.Ph application.
I have been monitoring also the progress of the border restrictions since my, my mother and my daughter travelled to an 8-hours-away city before it was implemented. So far, the mandate is not as strictly implemented. One netizen commented that the bus driver and conductor told him it depends on the Military personnel, because some are strict and some are not. From the comments in an FB page discussing this border restrictions, I have not read anyone was denied entry nor anyone who was asked for a negative swab test result.
Well, it will be two more weeks before we travel and pass through Davao region. Let's just see by then.
