ILOILO City – Starting today, returning residents and authorized persons outside residence (APORs) from the National Capital Region (NCR) and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal, Davao City and Cebu City can now enter Western Visayas.
Sea trips and flights will resume today, according to Cindy Ferrer, spokesperson of the Western Visayas Regional Task Force (RTF) Against COVID-19. She said local chief executives (LCEs) in the region have not sought for another extension on the ban.
Well, except for Roxas City, Ferrer told Panay News.
“May ara kita pending request from Roxas City. They are seeking for another 10-day [extension of moratorium] para didto sa ila… All inbound travelers, meaning all returning residents, APORs and ROFs (returning overseas Filipinos) from ‘NCR Plus’ only,” Ferrer said.
The local government of Roxas City sent a letter of request on April 16, “and gin-endorse naman naton ini sa National lnter-Agency Task Force [for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases] for approval.”
Pending IATF nod, Ferrer said Western Visayas will receive inbound travelers based on the directive of Office of Civil Defense Region 6 director Jose Roberto Nuñez who also chairs the RTF COVID-19 in the region.
“Bwas ma-lift na sa tanan (moratorium), meaning included ang Roxas City sa magabaton sang inbound travelers. Kon may approval na from IATF, then that’s the time nga i-implement na naton ang extension sa ila,” the spokesperson explained.
Why did Roxas City seek another extension?
Coronavirus cases have been on the rise there, Ferrer said, with the Roxas City government noting most of the cases had travel history from the “NCR Plus” areas.
Also, the city would like to decongest its quarantine facilities due to the influx of persons being isolated there.
To note, LCEs in Western Visayas initially requested for a ban on the entry of travelers from the “NCR Plus” and other areas on April 3 to 10 but was later extended (April 13 to 19).
Mayor Jerry Treñas of Iloilo City sent the letter of request on behalf of all LCEs in Western Visayas to vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez and Department of Interior and Local Government undersecretary Epimaco Densing III.
With the resumption of flights and sea trips, Ferrer is advising all returning residents and APORs to coordinate with their concerned local government units for a swift and safe travel.
The moratorium is pursuant to the national Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases Resolution No. 108 imposing a temporary ban on inbound travel to Western Visayas from NCR and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal, and the cities of Cebu and Davao.
The travel ban covers all returning residents, APOR and non-essential travelers into Western Visayas.
Overseas Filipino workers, however, are allowed to enter the region./PN
