PNP bars inter-city travel for consumers

MANILA, Philippines — Consumers in the National Capital Region will be barred from crossing town or city borders once the NCR is placed under the strictest enhanced community quarantine or ECQ beginning tomorrow, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said yesterday.

Every city in Metro Manila will be considered a “tiny bubble” where consumers with quarantine passes will be prohibited from crossing borders, according to Eleazar.

“From one large bubble, including the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal, the NCR will shift to tiny bubbles,” Eleazar said.

Police have put up checkpoints in 16 cities and the municipality of Pateros to restrict the movement of people during the two-week lockdown.

Eleazar said consumers would have to buy essential goods in their respective localities while the ECQ is in place.

“Hindi puwedeng mag-cross ng borders. Meaning to say, kung taga Pasay ka, hindi ka puwede pumunta sa Quezon City or Caloocan to buy groceries,” Eleazar said in an interview on Teleradyo.

People who will buy essential goods must have quarantine passes, Eleazar added.

“It is up to local government units whether their constituents can use old quarantine passes or they would issue new ones,” he said.

Medical frontliners, workers in permitted industries and other persons included in the list of authorized persons outside of residence are allowed to cross borders even during curfew hours provided they have valid identification cards.

Also allowed outdoors are persons with medical appointments or in need of emergency treatment and those scheduled for vaccination.

Eleazar appealed for understanding from the public, saying the restrictions would be enforced to curb the spread of the more contagious COVID-19 Delta variant.

“Hinihingi po namin ang inyong pang-unawa sa mga pagkakataong ito,” Eleazar said.