DOTr: All passengers may fly out of PH up to 12 a.m. March 20

Department of Transportation spokesperson Assistant Goddes Hope Libiran, quoting the DoTr Task Group, said on Tuesday that all passengers, regardless of nationality, may depart from the country up to 12 a.m. Mar. 20, unless their flights have been canceled by the airlines or the Civil Aeronautics Board.

Under the terms of the enhanced community quarantine imposed over Luzon, all international airports on Luzon island shall be closed after Thursday midnight, except for inbound Filipinos, their spouses and children, and Philippine permanent residents coming from overseas and cargo flights. Other local government units have imposed their own travel restrictions on inbound and outbound travelers.

Libiran said a Filipino or a foreigner with a scheduled flight going out of the country before Thursday midnight may be driven to Ninoy Aquino International Airport using a private vehicle. They have to show proof that there is indeed a flight by showing boarding passes, ticket or any documents with flight details to law enforcers who accost them on the road or at checkpoints.

A Filipino who arrived at the airport may also be fetched from the airport provided the one fetching the passenger can show the proof that he or she came from a flight. This can be a boarding pass, ticket or any document showing that there is indeed a flight.

“A private vehicle can fetch someone in the airport as long as the driver can prove that he has someone to fetch,” he said.

When driving a passenger to the airport or fetching one, all persons in the private vehicle must observe social distancing, Libiran said.

For OFWs arriving at the airport and going to the provinces but have no one to fetch them, Libiran said they can ride any government vehicle going to a checkpoint whether in Metro Manila or on its borders, where they can be picked up by relatives.

The DOTr on Tuesday afternoon deployed Philippine Coast Guard buses to pick up stranded OFWs and other passengers at NAIA Terminal 3 and brought them to the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange where they were fetched by south-bound private buses given temporary authority to travel by the Land Transportation and Franchising Board.