Gov’t discourages going home to provinces during Christmas season

File photo of motorists and commuters who usually go out of town during the long Christmas holiday. INQUIRER file photo / LYN RILLON

MANILA, Philippines — The government is discouraging the public from going home to their provinces during the Christmas season to avoid the spread of COVID-19.

“Dini-discourage natin ‘yan [pag-uwi sa probinsya],” Joint Task Force COVID-19 Shield commander Lt. Gen. Cesar Hawthorne Binag said in an interview over ABS CBN’s TeleRadyo.

(We discourage that.)

Binag, however, reminded those who would insist on going home to check the health protocols imposed in their provinces before traveling.

“Ang patakaran, titingnan niyo yung lugar na pupuntahan niyo baka nag impose sila ng mga reasonable restrictions,” he said.

(The public should first check the protocols in the provinces they will go to because the LGU could have imposed reasonable restrictions.)

“Tingnan muna ‘yung lugar na pupuntahan nila, ano ba yung restriction na pinapatupad doon tapos i-satisfy nila yun bago sila umalis,” Binag added.

(Just check the protocols in the province they will go to, what are the protocols imposed there and satisfy such protocols before they leave.)

Traditionally, thousands of Filipinos go home to their provinces during the Christmas season to celebrate the holidays with their families.

As of Nov. 30, the Philippines recorded 431,630 COVID-19 cases, with 398,658 recoveries and 8,392 deaths.

JPV