BBM: Free movement for APORs
FORMER Sen. Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, Jr. on Wednesday urged the IATF to allow fully vaccinated Authorized Persons Outside of Residence (APORs) living in locked-down areas a ‘free egress-ingress.’
“Let them go out for a living. And allow them to be with their families after work. It’s their daily routine to get through with this pandemic… financially and mentally,” said the former senator.
Marcos made the appeal following the IATF’s pronouncement of granular lockdown rules that will be implemented in the National Capital Region (NCR) starting Sept. 16, Thursday.
The IATF said only health care workers and returning OFWs will be considered APORs and will be allowed passage to and from areas under granular lockdown.
“Bakit pa sila tinawag na APOR kung hindi rin naman pala sila papayagang makalabas ng bahay, hindi ba’t yun naman ang kahulugan ng acronym na iyon? [What’s the sense of calling them APORs if they will not be allowed to go outside their homes? Isn’t that what that acronym meant?]” Marcos said.
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said on Tuesday that NCR will be placed under Alert Level 4, the second-highest classification under the new IATF guidelines.
Individuals prohibited to leave their homes under Alert level 4 include those aged below 18 and aged above 65, people with comorbidities, immunocompromised, and pregnant women except when buying food and working in essential industries.
“Ang total lockdowns ay taliwas sa diwa ng pagkakaroon ng APORs at magiging inconsistent ang IATF kung ipipilit nila ito. Nakikiusap tayo sa IATF na hayaan ang mga fully vaccinated APORs na makalabas ng bahay sa mga lugar na may granular lockdowns [Total lockdowns run counter to having APORs and the IATF will appear inconsistent should they insist on it. We are appealing to the IATF to let fully vaccinated APORs to leave their homes under granular lockdowns],” Marcos added.
Also on Tuesday, more than a thousand business owners submitted a joint manifesto urging the government to give fully vaccinated individuals more mobility to spur economic growth.
The group added that this move “would give establishments an opportunity to bounce back and workers to rebuild their livelihood.”
Marcos also said that it is important for the unvaccinated to see the added benefits of being fully vaccinated since this will allay their fears and finally encourage them to get the jab.
“Malaking bagay rin na maipakita sa mga tao na maraming benepisyo ang pagkakaroon ng kumpletong bakuna upang maalis ang takot ng ilan at mahikayat na silang magpabakuna. [It is also importante to show people the added benefits of being fully vaccinated so the fears of some are allayed and finally convince them to get inoculated,” Marcos added.