UPON the recommendation of the security forces, the City Government updated the guidelines on the use of the food and medicine (FM) passes in Davao City.
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio on Tuesday, April 21, said the basis for the coding scheme will now be the last digit of the FM Pass control number. Initially, the number coding scheme was based on the first digit.
Effective 12:01 a.m. on April 22, Wednesday, FM Pass with last digit 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 can only be used on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, while passes with last digit 2, 4, 6, 8, 0 can only be used on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
Meanwhile, FM passes still cannot be used on Sundays.
Duterte-Carpio said FM Pass holders are required to also indicate the cluster number on their FM Pass. They must write these details on the front of the FM Pass in large text or letters, using a marker or pentel pen.
Passes must be presented at checkpoints, provided that it should not be held or touched by those manning the frontline. Pass holders should present it along with valid identification cards.
Duterte-Carpio said in a radio interview on 87.5 FM Davao City Disaster Radio that the revision of the coding scheme was based on the recommendation of the security forces deployed on the ground.
Meanwhile, the clustering of barangays, which took effect at 12:01 a.m. of April 20, will continue to be implemented.
The number coding scheme and the clustering system is on top of the additional control measure during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) period in the city.
The FM pass, under Executive Order No. 23-A, is a requirement for buying or collecting medicine and food. FM Pass can be used to go to the hospital or clinic.
However, the use of passes is exempted during emergency cases.
Essential workers and frontliners are exempted from the use of the FM passes.
Those who violate the ECQ guidelines will face charges under RA 11332 or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act, which was adapted to the RA 11469 or the "Bayanihan to Heal as One Act", which allows LGUs to enforce policies for the prevention of the further spread of the Covid-19.
