IT SEEMS I stirred a hornet’s nest. Wazzup? Asked a millennials. Well, Clark Development Corporation officials issued a notice to the public that starting January 25, Saturday, that EVERYONE, repeat EVERYONE will be checked at the gates and none vaccinated will not be allowed entry.
Here’s the announcement: “Everyone entering Clark Freeport Zone must be fully vaccinated or must be Covid-Negative. Checkpoints for presentation of vaccination or Covid TEST result (Antigen or RT-PCR) not more than 24 hours before entering will be at CFZ gates and entrance of firms or offices within CFZ. Public utility vehicles must also require passengers to present vaccination cards/valid Covid negative results.”
The reaction I posted on my FB wall. It says EVERYONE. Okay let’s see a situation on the rush hour of 7 to 8 a.m. If EVERYONE will be checked on their vaccination card, enter shuttle buses of locators, then followed by a SUV with 3 passengers then construction workers on a pickup truck, then those from Mining Cooperative trucks carrying 20 or more passengers. What now? Heavy, very heavy traffic, of course.
Since the announcement came from the communication-division or PR department of the Freeport, I asked in the same FB post: Eric Jimenez paki tanong kay Chairman Edpam at General Gaerlan kung pinag-isipan ito. It’s a crazy idea. Let me now repeat now saying it is a crazy idea. If this policy will be enforced, it must be strictly enforced to EVERYONE. If the vaccination cards are not checked thoroughly by the guards, then it is useless because an unvaccinated person may slip the guards. If as CDC officials are for strict implementation, so let it be strict. It should not be 50/50 enforcement.
A scene: Guard asked the construction workers to show their vaccination cards. So they obliged. The guard now asked now each one of their issued government ID. That has to be done based on strict control because CDC has to be sure that the card belong really to the owner and not photo copied only by the unvaccinated. The card must match the government ID. Question now. How many minutes to check on 20 people. How many minutes to check on thousands of workers and visitors during a one hour rush?
The reactions: From Ding Cervantes of Philippine Star: The vax card time be set up at Clark gates are unscientific, absurd. Experts insist n ventilation as a measure against covid spread. From Rudy Abular of Pampanga Press Club: Walang wil I kung hindi naman binubusisi ng guard kung yung vaccine card ay tugma sa ID ng bearer Flash mo lang sa kanila ang vaccine card go kana agad. He he. Ako personally experience this situation this morning. From Alex Caugiran former President of Clark International Airport: I fully understand the intentions of the latest CDC protocol. However it must also consider its impact on all stakeholders of the zone. Kung araw-araw ito gagawin, napakalaking man hours at business hours ang mawawala sa mga investors at locators at mangagawa ng Clark. There were more reactions but he to space limitation I can only print few.