BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
BACOLOD CITY – Even though the provincial government of Negros Oriental already allowed the resumption of bus trips to Negros Occidental, when would the latter reopen its borders?
Anytime this week, said Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, adding he would issue an executive order on the matter.
He said talks are still ongoing with Vallacar Transit Incorporated (VTI), operator of Ceres Liner and Ceres Tours.
“What is important is that we must have the same protocol with Negros Oriental considering that we are now in the same alert level,” Lacson told journalists yesterday.
Earlier, Negros Oriental’s Gov. Roel Degamo signed Executive Order No. 44, adopting the guidelines of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, according to Bimbo Miraflor, capitol spokesperson. It allows VTI to resume bus trips plying the Dumaguete-Bacolod route, provided travelers comply with the travel requirements.
Both provinces have the same travel requirements such as requiring valid vaccination cards for fully-vaccinated individuals and a negative RT-PCR test for unvaccinated ones, except for the S-PaSS system registration only required for travelers bound for Negros Occidental.
The governor is also adamant about a point-to-point system of transport between the two provinces so as to make it easier to manage the entry and exit of passengers./PN