I decided to make a blog with the said subject in the hopes of helping someone who needs to do the same. What used to be an easy thing became stressful now, with all the changing protocols and no standard set across the government bodies.

I had to travel to Cebu for work this month and I had to take care of the requirements myself. I'll list this down as a step-by-step process on how I did it, but this may not necessarily be the same for all others. 

1. Medical and Barangay Clearance

October 28, 2020 (Wednesday)

I live in Makati, so I looked up how to acquire a medical clearance. Take note that this may differ from other cities. I had to scour the website and the Facebook page before I found this link. I am an APOR but the document shows that it's for LSI, so I was a bit confused because there was no other link. I filled it out anyway. After submitting, I received the automatic reply from Google Docs which just shows the answers I submitted. I didn't get any other instruction on what to do next.

I thought that the above step was useless, so I went straight to the barangay hall to inquire. It was there where I was informed that I had to wait 3-5 days, before being given a medical clearance via email. So I relaxed a bit and waited for that email.

October 31, 2020 (Saturday)

I received my Medical Clearance!

November 4, 2020 (Wednesday)

I brought a copy of my Medical Clearance to the barangay hall. I had to fill out a small piece of paper which are just details about myself. I paid 20 pesos and waited for them to encode and print it. I think I waited for about 30 minutes, after being issued a Barangay Clearance.

 Note: I should have headed straight to the police station right after this for the Travel Authority.

2. Airfare and Accommodation

I was informed that it's better to have a booked flight and accommodation as supporting documents to the next step. So I had my plane ticket and accommodation booked, which was on November 3.

3. Letter of Coordination (LOC) from the Barangay in Cebu

November 4, 2020 (9:49 AM)

My accommodation is located in Barangay Apas, so I had to e-mail them at barangayapas2018@gmail.com. These are their requirements:

Although it's stated that you need a Travel Authority from PNP, I didn't have one so it was not in my attachments. Strangely, they replied that I can proceed to Step 2:

I emailed them at 9:49AM, and received a reply at 12:45PM. At 1:01 PM, I received my LOC. 

4. Travel Authority by the PNP JTF Covid Shield

November 9, 2020

As mentioned above, I should have secured this right after my visit to the barangay hall. I went to the police station in Ayala (near the post office). Unfortunately, they have assigned the issuance of the TA to different stations, depending on your address. I was from Barangay Cembo, so they informed me that I had to get it from the police station near University of Makati. 

I arrived there around 11:30AM. There was no queue and I was the only one waiting for their service. I had to submit a copy of the following:

- barangay clearance

- medical clearance

- photocopy of a valid ID

I acquired my Travel Authority by noon.

5. Travel Clearance by the City Mayor

November 9, 2020

I suggest that this email be sent 2-3 days before the date of travel. I sent an email a week before my flight, and they did not reply to it. 

Last document to be acquired can be requested at ccg.travelpass@gmail.com. You can email them in advance to get the list of requirements based on your status. As for me, I am classified as a Long-Term Private APOR so I had to submit the following:

- LOC from the Barangay of Residence

- Valid I.D

- Negative Swab Test Result AND Medical Clearance

Note: For the Swab Testing, take note that the lead time for the results vary.

There you have it! You now have complete documents.

The day of my flight

November 11, 2020

My flight was at 8:20AM, with a boarding time of 7:35AM. I was planning to leave my place at 6AM. I woke up early though and decided to just leave before my intended schedule. At the NAIA checkpoint, they asked to see my PNP Travel Authority and a valid ID. I was dropped off at the departure bays by 5:45AM.

Gate 3 was the only entrance. There was a queue til Gate 5.

At the entrance, the guard will only need to see your boarding pass, as usual. I think I cleared the first security at 6:05AM.

By 6:11AM, I had my printed boarding pass and the bag tag through the kiosk.

I had a check-in baggage so I had to put the bag tag myself. It's not as easy as it looks hahaha. I was so worried about making a mistake and the instructions were not stupid-proof. I gave in and asked help from the staff.

After feeling dumb about not being able to put the bag tag on by myself, I headed towards the bag-drop counters. It was here where they asked to see some of the documents. In my case, I had to show my medical clearance and the Barangay LOC. I was then given the clearance to have my bag weighed and hauled away.

I then proceeded to the next security check, which was uneventful. By 6:40AM, I was heading towards the boarding gates.

Closed :(

I haven't had breakfast yet so I looked for food. There were only a few stores open.

A few minutes before the boarding time, they had everyone get up from their seat and line up. They asked each person what the purpose of their travel is and handed over a form that you need to fill up. Don't forget to bring your own pen, by the way. After a few minutes, we were boarding the plane. 

I was surprised that I had seatmates. I was under the impression that there would be empty seats in between, but the plane was packed. 

The plane landed around 9:45AM, and by 10AM, I have retrieved my bag and was ready to roll. I thought that there is going to be another security checkpoint, but there was none. Nobody asked to see the Letter from the City Mayor.

I am now on my 3rd day here. I was told that someone from the barangay will contact me so that I can undergo the mandatory Swab test (3-5 days upon arrival). Let's see if that pushes thru.

That's it! Take note that the above is based on my experience and may not be the same for everyone, since protocols keep changing.

Have a safe trip!

For the past month, I've been studying which brand of flats would be perfect for me. You see, I don't like thinking about shoes (and bags) so I always go for nude/beige. The clothes alone are enough to waste time on.

I was looking for nude flats which can last for years. Something homogeneous because all my previous flats' problems always has something falling apart. I love walking and because I wear one pair for many months, cheaply-made ones disintegrate fast. And that led me to narrow down my search to Grendha and Melissa. 

Both are actually under one company (along with Ipanema) but I believe Melissa's target market is higher up. I liked Grendha's styles better so I didn't consider this anymore. That's a better reason than saying I can't afford it. Haha.

So I was very ready to buy this style from Grendha but my size is out of stock. :( I tried Glorietta, Landmark, SM to no avail so I took that as a sign that I need to think more. It's so perfect for me. :(

Both are found in Shoe Salon and most department stores but Melissa just opened its own shop at Glorietta. There are styles there which are available only in that store. Pair that are P15,000. Like. I. Cannot. What. How.

Then I discovered that there's another brand out there with these kinds of shoes. Terra & Agua. I always pass by this store at Glorietta on Sundays but not really seeing its wares. Its price range is the same with Grendha. I was desperate to have nude flats so I bought one for P1850 the first time I visited the store.

Yay. Flat.

It's more plastic-y. Grendha is not. Grendha has this smooth, almost like matte, jelly-like soft finish. This one is more glossy and hard. Oh well. I shall not dwell on what could have been to avoid disappointment. Haha.

The first day I used this pair, it was okay. It's my size but it felt a little tight. The 2nd day I went out with this, I got blisters at the usual part at the rear of my feet. I had to wear bandages for 2-3 days but now it's fine and has become comfortable. 

It's okay. I think I still prefer Grendha though. :)

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UPDATE (11/09/2015)

I really, really regret that purchase. Lol. It was really uncomfortable and gave me blisters. I bought a Melissa pair a few months later and I still find it very comfy up til now. I think this will last forever.

Save your money. Splurge on quality. Haha.