Exempted from 'no vax, no ride', workers, vendors still apply for barangay passes

Some workers and vendors who are supposed to be exempted from the government's "no vaccination, no ride" policy are still applying for health passes from their barangay to be allowed to take public transportation.

According to Jun Veneracion's report on "24 Oras", Aiza Bantasan has just been hired and was working to submit her requirements when the policy got in the way.

“Dapat bago sila maglunsad ng programa nila lahat ng tao binriefing muna nila kung ano talaga yung pwede at hindi kasi nakakalito, may nagsasabing pwede ang first dose, may nagsasabi naman na hindi. Nakakalito sila,” Bantasan said.

(Before they implemented their program, everyone should be informed on the policy because it is not confusing. Some people said that the first dose are allowed, others it was not. They are confusing.)

Vendor Jimmy Boyser after he was not allowed to take a public utility vehicle on Monday.

“Kinabukasan po noong Martes, hindi na po ako nagtinda kasi baka mahuli na po ako eh,” Boyser said.

Both Bantasan and Boyser were getting their health passes in Barangay Payatas, Quezon City.

The barangay, however, noted they were still studying if they will give them barangay health passes.

It added that the validity of the barangay certificates would only last for one day.

“Hindi naman pupuwede ‘yun na pinayagan natin siya ngayon, bukas nandiyan na naman siya. Kaya nga ini-encourage natin sila, kung talagang wala kayong bakuna, stay at home,” Florante Clarita, administrator of Barangay Payatas, Quezon City, said.

(It is not possible that we allow them today, and then tomorrow they will be there again. That is why we encourage them, if you really don’t have a vaccine, stay at home.)

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Department of Transportation (DOTr) have not yet issued protocols on the releasing of the barangay health passes.

GMA News is trying to get the side of the DILG regarding the releasing of barangay health passes.

The DOTr implemented on Monday its policy to ban the unvaccinated from using public transport in Metro Manila while the region was under Alert Level 3 or higher.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade issued Department Order No. 2022-001, which allows public transportation access only to fully vaccinated individuals.

A full vaccination status can be proven by either physical or digital copies of local government unit-issued vaccine card, Department of Health-issued vaccine certification, or any Inter-Agency Task Force-prescribed document with valid government-issued ID with picture and address.

The order is in line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive to restrict the movement of people who are unvaccinated against COVID-19 in Metro Manila, which is experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases.

Metro Manila is placed under Alert Level 3 until the end of January. —Richa Noriega/NB, GMA News