Would-be travelers queue for authority passes ahead of the holidays

Amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, would-be travelers on Friday lined up at the Quezon City hall to apply for authority passes that would allow them to leave Metro Manila.

According to Tina Panganiban-Perez’s report on “24 Oras,” Vanessa Marquez was lucky as she received her medical certificate, a certificate from the barangay, and an acceptance letter from the Bacolod local government where she will spend Christmas, within one day.

Due to this, she also immediately received her travel authority from the Joint Task Force COVID Shield.

“Madali lang. Fill up lang po ng form nila. Tapos, in 10 minutes nga tapos na ko. Wala akong binayaran,” Marquez said.

Meanwhile, Jennylyn Uy was rushing to get her travel authority to be able to travel to Marinduque before the city will be closed to non-authorized persons outside residence and locally stranded individuals starting December 18 to January 2.

“A-attend kasi kami ng, ano, funeral ng aming uncle. Dadalawin ko na rin ‘yung mga anak ko doon tapos ‘yung mama ko,” Uy said.

A senior citizen also said she wanted to go to South Cotabato to visit her 89-year-old mother.

“’Yun lang po ang importante, makita ko lang siya,” she said.

“Evaluate namin kung essential ba ‘yung travel niya or kung APOR naman siya, walang problema, she can travel as long as related sa pagiging APOR niya ‘yung travel,” Police Colonel Ericson Dilag, Pasay City Police chief, said.

“Kung hindi naman essential ‘yung travel, ‘wag na lang lumabas,” he added.  — Joahna Lei Casilao/DVM, GMA News