Covid19 changes our world drastically, travelling now is difficult. Before we only care about booking a flight ticket and off we go backpacking and enjoying life. Now, no more.
There are things we have to consider now when traveling in the Philippines.
1. Government protocols and restrictions. We have to know alert levels on the places we need visiting. In the Philippines, the government announces every city in quarantine levels almost every month. The stringent level is ECQ or Extended Community Quantine and the lowest is the MGCQ or the Modified General Community Quarantine - basing on the number of Covid19 reported cases. This is important because this would lead to your concern for the next...
2. RT-PCR (swab) Test - Usually, a medical certificate issued by the municipal or city health office is enough. But, if you came from a city with more COVID19 cases, the Local Govemment Unit of your destination would most likely require a recent swab test.
3. Letter of Acceptance - As soon as you comply the medical certicate and/or swab test requirement, email these documents to the LGU of your city of desrination. They will send you this letter of acceptance, and that you will be complying quarantine procedures when you arrive.
4. Travel Authority - You can get this from the police station nearest you. Still a very important document when traveling.
In my experience, since I am a medical frontliner, we always have this I. D. Pass issued by our company especially during this pandemic with an employment certicate instantly available at the back of it, certifying that I am an Authorized Personnel Outside Residence (APOR) - as the government coined it together with other sectors who needs to travel for work during pandemic. That perhaps gives a little consideration on my travel.
A week before traveling, I went to our barangay for the guidelines, to find out that they will be prepping all work to acquire a medical certificate from the City Health Office. It takes time, I think it took 2 days before I was able to get one. I requested at the same time a Certicate of Confirmation (stating that the BHERTS will keep in touch with me for quarantine procedures when I come back) you need this document as well to acquire the Letter of Acceptance (a very important document to travel back to your hometown). As for me I got it ahead of time because I will be away for just 2 days - just a personal business trip.
The next step from the barangay, is the police station for the travel authority, documents you got from the barangay will be stapled with it. The City Tourism office is my last stop, I have to show them my appointment for the IELTS exam, round trip tickets and a 2-day hotel reservation to prove that my trip is officially business and not for leisure. The City Tourism gave me an endorsement. I also process beforehand the letter of acceptance, so I can travel back home.
When I arrived in Cebu City, there is a holding area for passengers. My documents were checked, for APOR on business trip it is a must to have an appointment letter or any document to support your travel, round trip ticket and hotel booking of not more than 3 days. I ask the LGU personnel if I should be presenting a new travel authority and medical certicate issued by Cebu City when I travel back the next day and she told me just to present same documents, plus the letter of acceptance.
All that lengthy procedures, the pressure of minimum health standards of the new normal, and of course the anxiety thinking of this unseen enemy - coronavirus, might force us to better stay home. But, what will happen to our goals, to our priorities, to dreams and life in the future?
Taking extra precautions, follow health protocols, avoiding crowded places, getting enough sleep, boosting your immune system, live healthy because...
LIFE MUST GO ON.
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Photos from Pixabay (free to use)
Photo below is Mine
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#travelingduringpandemic #APOR #Pandemic
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