Who are APORs and what documents should they bring?

MANILA, Philippines — Enhanced community quarantine is back in Metro Manila and the province of Laguna, and the cities of Iloilo and Cagayan de Oro, and along with it comes restrictions on the movement of most people, except for APORs.

But what is the meaning of APOR, anyway? Who are they and what documents should they bring with them when they leave their homes?

Read on and get answers to these questions.

What is the meaning of APOR?

APOR is an acronym that the government has been using since the first lockdown in March 2020 which means “authorized persons outside of residence.” Its meaning is self-explanatory: These are people who can leave their homes even during ECQ.

Who are APORs?

Philippine National Police spokesperson Ronaldo Olay told Philstar.com that there are two types of APORs — consumer APORs and worker APORs.

Consumer APORs are those who are leaving their households to access essential goods and services, while worker APORs are those who are leaving their homes for work in sectors and industries permitted to operate under ECQ.

Those who would be leaving their residences to get vaccinated are also considered as APORs, Olay said.

Here is a full list of APORs as of August 5:

• People traveling to access essential goods and services, like buying groceries and medicines or availing of consular services as long as they have appointments, and for medical and humanitarian reasons, like those leaving their homes to get vaccinated as long as they are scheduled for a jab
   
• Workers in public and private hospitals, health, emergency, and frontline services, including those working in hospitals, dialysis centers, chemotherapy centers, HMOs/health insurance providers, as well as disaster risk reduction management officers, public safety officers, and uniformed personnel
   
• Workers involved in the manufacturing of medicines and vitamins, medical supplies, devices, and equipment, including suppliers of input, packaging, and distribution
   
• Workers in industries involved in agriculture (crops, fruits, vegetables, livestock, and poultry), forestry, fishery, and such other components of the food value chain and their workers, including farmers and fisherfolks
   
• Workers of logistics service providers (delivery and courier services; cargo handling; warehousing; trucking; freight forwarding; shipping, port and terminal operators including contractors in port terminals and ancillary services)
   
• Workers in essential and priority construction projects, whether public or private, in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Department of Public Works and Highways, including contractors, subcontractors, and consultants of the Department of Transportation for the construction of the “Build Build Build” flagship infrastructure projects
   
• Workers involved in the manufacturing of food and other essential goods, like soap and detergents, diapers, personal hygiene products, toilet paper, wet wipes and disinfectants
   
• Workers involved in the manufacturing, distribution, and/or supply of equipment or products necessary to perform construction or maintenance work, such as cement and steel, or spare parts
   
• Workers in essential retail trade and service establishments such as public markets, supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, pharmacies or drug stores, hardware, office supplies, bicycle shops, laundry shops, and water-refilling stations
   
• Workers in food preparation establishments such as kiosks, commissaries, restaurants, and eateries, but limited to take-out and delivery
   
• Workers in public and private financial service providers involved in the distribution of government grants and amelioration subsidies
   
• Workers in business process outsourcing establishments, export-oriented businesses, including mining, and quarrying activities
   
• Public transport providers and public utility vehicle operators, and their workers
   
• Media workers
   
• Workers providing emergency dental services, rehabilitation optometry, and other medical clinics for the treatment of illnesses or injuries
   
• Workers in veterinary clinics
   
• Workers in banks, money transfer services, including pawn shops but restricted to money transfer functions, microfinance institutions, and credit cooperatives, including their armored vehicles
   
• Workers in capital markets, including the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Securities and Exchange Commission, Philippine Stock Exchange, Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corporation, Philippine Securities Settlement Corporation, and Philippine Depository and Trust Corporation
   
• Workers of water utilities including their third-party contractors and service providers, building utility services, janitorial/sanitation services, and facilities, including waste disposal services, and property management services
   
• Workers in energy sector establishments (oil, gas, and power companies) and their third-party contractors and service providers, including electric transmission and distribution, electric power plant and line maintenance, electricity market and retail suppliers, and those involved in the exploration, operations, trading, and delivery of any kind of fuel used to produce power, such as gasoline stations, refineries, liquefied petroleum gas stations, and depots
   
• Workers in telecommunications companies, internet service providers, cable television providers, including those who perform indirect services such as technical, sales, and other support personnel, as well as the employees of their third-party contractors doing sales, installation, maintenance, and repair works
   
• Workers in airline and aircraft maintenance, pilots and crew, including employees of aviation schools for purposes of the pilot’s recurrent training for flight proficiency and type rating using simulator facilities; and ship captains and crew, including shipyard operations and repair
   
• Workers in funeral and embalming services
   
• Security personnel licensed by the PNP - Supervisory Office for Security and Investigation Agencies
   
• Workers of printing establishments authorized by the Bureau of Internal Revenue and those contracted by other government agencies
   
• Workers involved in the repair and maintenance of machinery and equipment, for households and establishments permitted to operate under an ECQ
   
• Workers involved in the repair and maintenance of motorized and non-motorized vehicles, including the sale of spare parts
   
• Workers in the leasing of real and personal properties
   
• Workers in the recruitment and placement sector
   
• Teachers, professors, and other staff for purposes of conducting online/offline, and flexible classes, completion of grades, and processing of student credentials, requirements, and documents
   
• Lawyers only when required to provide on-site legal representation necessary to protect rights of persons, whether natural or juridical
   
• Workers of all other establishments, only if necessary for online shopping operations
   
• Workers in agencies and instrumentalities of the government required to work on-site, including government officials and employees on official travel
   
• Officials and employees of foreign diplomatic missions and international organizations accredited by the Department of Foreign Affairs, whenever performing diplomatic functions and subject to the guidelines issued by the DFA
   
• Workers of hotels and accommodation establishments allowed to operate during ECQ under pertinent rules of the Department of Tourism
   
• Pastors, priests, rabbis, imams, or other religious ministers and their assistants conducting religious services through online video recording and transmission, or presiding over necrological services, wakes, inurnment, and funerals
   
• Payroll managers and other employees required for the processing of payroll
   
• Duly authorized humanitarian assistance actors, especially those transporting medical supplies and laboratory specimens related to COVID-19, and other relief and humanitarian assistance
   
• Persons going to and from the airport, including overseas Filipino workers carrying Overseas Employment Certificates
   
• Repatriated OFWs or returning overseas Filipinos who have been issued a Bureau of Quarantine/Department of Health quarantine certificate en route to their final destination in the Philippines
   
• Workers of private shuttle services catering to establishments permitted to operate during ECQ

What documents do APORs need to bring?

For consumer APORs, they need to bring quarantine passes if these are being required by the local government unit of their residence.

For worker APORs, they need to bring their employment ID and a certificate of employment.

If worker APORs need to be ushered and fetched by a private vehicle driven by someone who is not an APOR, the driver must be able to present the worker APOR's certificate of employment which indicates the name of the designated driver, the description of the vehicle and the contact number of the APOR's employer, and the business permit of the APOR's employer.

For those who would be going out of their homes to get vaccinated, they must bring their vaccination card or a text message confirming their vaccine appointment.