GCQ Requirements, An Emotional Rollercoaster

February 6, 2021 Provincial

Tuding, Itogon – The ongoing GCQ implementation due to the rising cases of Covid-19, took locals by surprise and their respective barangay halls. Getting in and outside the BLISTT boundary has taken a toll on locals earlier than expected. Congestion and lack of manpower may be the root cause of this scenario. One affected barangay in the municipality of Itogon has got locals and officials on an emotional roller coaster.
Delia Padupad, a constituent of Monterassaz, Tuding has lined up for two consecutive days to obtain her travel permit and medical clearance issued by the Barangay hall. She expressed that it may have been time consuming, but she understands both sides of the municipality and the people.
Padupad shared that she has witnessed how the pressure of this process affects those in the LGU, especially for crucial documents like the medical certificate. “Nakita kong umiiyak yung nagbibigay ng medical certificate, because imagine we waited for 3 hours but we also understand when they explained their side” said Padupad.
Tuding Barangay Captain, Martin Chavez Jr. has asked for utmost patience and understanding during these trying times. Chavez has also shared the hardships of local coordination due to the massive numbers of town goers and heightened emotions.
“Ang importante, pagsinabi naming APOR, lahat sila APOR, pag businessman ka may business permit ka, may I.D ka. Yung iba sinasabing may trabaho, wala naman certificate of employment. Yun ang isa sa problema” expressed.
The Municipality is struggling to keep up while catering to 9 barangays, mano-mano to distribute issued medical clearances and travel permits from its Municipal Hall. The Municipal Hall has a
notable distance from each barangay and almost an hour away from Barangay Tuding.
In addition, the lack of manpower greatly affects the process time of both entry documents, to the extent of limiting the issuance time for government medical clearances from 8am until 12noon. The public right now is in the same level playing field as expected, priorities for APOR’s, even front liners, are also required to undergo the process and are not spared by the time-dependent protocols.
On a lighter note, the limitation of entry documents issued by Baguio City Mayor, Benjamin Magalong is still being discussed whether to extend its validity of ten days or more, to avoid large gatherings during the recent implementation of GCQ in the BLISTT boundaries.