ATTN: If You Want to Travel Locally, Get Your Medical Certificate ASAP

Head to your local health office now.
by Meryl Medel | June 22, 2020

If you have any plans to travel domestically by sea or air anytime soon, you should go to the health office and get a medical certificate stating that you’re not infected with COVID-19. This is in accordance with the new guidelines imposed by the Joint Task Force (COVID Shield (JTF) to avoid the further spread of the virus.

Anyone can apply for and receive a travel permit (also known as travel authority) from the JTF as long as they provide a medical clearance certificate. DILG Undersecretary and Spokesperson Jonathan Malaya noted that the medical certificate is actually the number one requirement of the destination’s local government unit (LGU). Thus, he warned that it will only be a waste of time attempting to travel without presenting a medical certificate to the destination’s authorities.

Malaya also explained that on top of the required medical certificate, you may be required to be placed under home quarantine upon arrival at your destination, according to the LGU’s discretion.

You can get your medical clearance certificate at the health office of your local government unit, while travel permits may be procured from their local police chiefs and station commanders.

Of course, all these would hinge on what the purpose of your travel is. If your purpose of travel is non-essential, even if you present a medical certificate, the local police chief may decide not to issue you a travel permit. Thus, this notice applies primarily to locally stranded individuals (LSI) who want to go home to their city or province, authorized persons outside of residence (APOR) who need to travel for work, or people who need to travel due to an emergency.

Want to know if you’re eligible to travel locally? Check this out.