PASSENGER trips between Iloilo and Bacolod City resumed Tuesday, June 16, following a relaxation of border protocols in Western Visayas.

Since fastcraft operations have yet to resume, some passengers heading to Iloilo City and from there going to Bacolod were forced to ride the roll-on/roll-off (roro) vessels bound for Dumangas and Bredco Port.

Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Negros Occidental chief, Lieutenant Commander Jansen Benjamin, said even though regular passenger services have resumed, they are still strictly carrying out health protocols for all arriving passengers at the Bredco port.

Benjamin said upon disembarkation, passengers are immediately directed to the PCG Bredco sub-station to fill up their health cards.

The PCG commander said the passengers are required to fill-up information such as travel history, their hometown, and their seat number while aboard the vessel.

This will be used for contact tracing in the unlikely event that someone becomes positive for the coronavirus, Bejamin said.

Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said Tuesday, June 16, that the province will set up an RT-PCR testing booth at the Bredco Seaport Terminal.

The PCG is also strictly carrying out inspections of all sea vessels prior to leaving the port.

Benjamin said ships are required to only accommodate 50 percent of the vessel's total seating capacity. Social distancing and wearing of masks are strictly being observed and that ferry operators are disinfecting all passenger accommodation areas prior to boarding.