The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has ordered that no barangay checkpoints be set up along national highways and provincial roads across the country.
Only checkpoints manned by the Philippine National Police are allowed and only PNP personnel are authorized to inspect cargo trucks for the duration of the enhanced community quarantine.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año said the order has been issued amid complaints that barangay checkpoints had been impeding the transport of goods and “essential people” despite the policy that movement of all kinds of cargoes should be unhampered and exemption be given to individuals working in essential industries.
Earlier, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said it has, together with DILG, committed to further enhance checkpoint protocols to ensure unhampered movement of food and agri-fishery products, inputs, and personnel.
The joint action followed the reported distress in chicken supply, brought about by difficulties experienced by trucks in passing through local government areas.
Agriculture Secretary William Dar said Año agreed to adjust checkpoint protocols at the municipal/city and barangay roads to ease movement of agricultural products and commodities as well as of farmers and other agri-fishery personnel.
“Sec. Año understands the importance of bringing our food supply immediately to our consumers who need these products the most. The IATF has been supportive of this, and the entire DILG is our partner in the ground,” Dar said.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexei Nograles, in a press briefing on March 31, reiterated the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases’ (IATF) directive that movement of all types of cargoes during the enhanced community quarantine should be unhampered. DILG will issue a new set of guidelines on checkpoints at the LGU level for this purpose.
Since the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine, DA has been appealing to all local chief executives to allow food, agri-fishery products, inputs, and personnel with proper documentation to easily pass through quarantine exit and entry points.
“We cannot overemphasize our battle against the potential hunger this pandemic is posing us. As much as we want to prepare for the worst, we also need all the hands we can get to prevent this from happening. So again, we need to achieve a smooth movement in the food value chain,” Dar added.
At present, the DA has issued around 48,000 food passes throughout the Philippines to ease the checkpoint procedures for food and agri cargoes. However, some localities, especially at the municipal and barangay levels, still reportedly refuse to honor the passes.
With Año’s directives, and the commitment to the IATF, DA expects to ease the burden of moving prime food supplies to, from, and through quarantine areas.
“This way, we can better provide more affordable and accessible food to our consuming public. We have the supplies, we just need to move them,” Dar said.
Good day sir/maam. Ang municipyo po nmain dito nag ordered po ng twice a week lang po ung labas ng cargo and agricultural products.peru yung nkuha namin na passes sa province ay pwede po everyday.. Nahihirapan po kami dito sir kasi stricto masyado yung emplementation nila. hndi mkalabas yung mga products.
Marami po kaming naririnig na ganyan din ang problema. May bago pong ID na puwede ninyong applyan online, ang RapidPass ID.
Sabi po ng gobyerno bibilis ang access ng mga cargo trucks pag meron nito.
Mag apply sa: https://rapidpass.ph/onboarding
hi, we are a haz waste hauler, can we apply a rapid pass id?
We already have DENR&PEZA docs, certification from client etc.
What else do we need to prepare?
Please advise. thanks
we are a haz waste hauler, can we apply a rapid pass id?
We already have DENR&PEZA docs, certification from client etc.
What else do we need to prepare?
Please advise. thanks
Kindly note PortCalls is not affiliated with RapidPass. Please inquire with them directly. Thanks.
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