BACOLOD City – Biking enthusiasts have been restricted from a boundary village in this city and in two neighboring localities as well after several bikers from adjacent Talisay City have tested positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Since early this week, Barangay Alangilan here, Murcia town and Bago City have banned the entry of bikers in their respective jurisdictions.
In a notice, Alangilan village chief Degie Tanista Sr. said they have prohibited the entry of bikers as stated in Barangay Resolution 159, series of 2020.
“For public health safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, bikers are banned from entering the territorial jurisdiction of Barangay Alangilan effective July 20 until further notice,” Tanista said.
Alangilan – rural village in the northeastern part of Bacolod – is a common gateway for bikers and other travelers going to Talisay.
Murcia, the municipality next to Bacolod in the east, has also banned bikers from entering the town proper starting Wednesday.
“I’m very sorry that we are still preventing them from interacting with the people in the poblacion,” said Major Roberto Dejucos, chief of the Murcia municipal police station. “They can pass along the national road but they cannot enter the town proper.”
In Bago, the city next to Bacolod in the south, Mayor Nicholas Yulo issued Executive Order 46 temporarily suspending the entry of bicycle tourists and leisure bikers starting Wednesday.
“Bikers from outside Bago are not allowed to enter the city for exploration, sightseeing, recreation, fitness, exercise, or sport,” the mayor’s order said.
Yulo directed the Bago City police station to establish roadblocks on identified control and entry points in the city.
He also discouraged local bikers from engaging in leisure biking outside of Bago until further notice.
Yulo advised them to observe minimum public health standards such as physical distancing and wearing of face mask, and bring at all times proper proof of identification as residents of Bago.
Last week, Talisay City Mayor Neil Lizares III also issued Executive Order 28, series of 2020, discouraging biking, hiking, basketball, and other recreational activities in the city for 14 days to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. (With a report from PNA/PN)
