BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – Trips by roll-on, roll-off (RoRo) vessels plying the Bacolod-Iloilo route resumed yesterday following a relaxation of border protocols in Western Visayas.
Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Negros Occidental chief, Lieutenant commander Jansen Benjamin, said they were strictly carrying out minimum health safety protocols for all arriving passengers at the Bredco port.
Passengers, upon disembarkation, are immediately directed to the PCG Bredco substation to fill-up health cards (travel history, their hometown, their seat number while aboard the vessel).
Benjamin said the health cards will be used for contact tracing in the unlikely event that someone becomes positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Although it is still unclear as to what the health protocols are for residents of Bacolod City, Benjamin said residents living in places outside of the city are required to be brought to the Provincial Healing Center in E.B. Magalona, Negros Occidental where they would undergo real time-polymerase reaction (RT-PCR) test.
Benjamin said passengers will only be allowed to return home once their RT-PCR tests come back negative for the virus.
The PCG is also strictly carrying out inspections of all sea vessels prior to leaving port.
Benjamin said ships are required to only accommodate 50 percent of the vessel’s total seating capacity, social distancing and wearing of masks is strictly being observed, and that ferry operators are disinfecting all passenger accommodation areas prior to boarding.
Although trips have resumed, Panay News noticed that only a handful of passengers were seen gathering at the Bredco port in this city.
Some passengers heading to Iloilo City were forced to ride the RoRo vessels bound for Dumangas since fast craft operations have yet to resume.
Earlier on Monday, Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia agreed to allow the resumption of passenger sea travel to Iloilo, following a phone call with Iloilo City’s Mayor Jerry Treñas./PN
