AFTER clarifying several what-if situations, Bacolod City officials, City Hall heads, and representatives of government agencies have established protocols in handling Bacolodnon returnees via sea travel, during an emergency meeting presided by Mayor Evelio Leonardia on Wednesday, June 3.
Councilor Cindy Rojas, chair of Action Team on Non-OFW Returning Residents, pointed out that seaports were flooded with large number of LSIs (locally stranded individuals) who wanted to go home since the community quarantine took effect due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
To address the problem, the LGU set up a Bacolod Information Desk at the Bredco and Banago Ports where the returnees are asked to fill up a health declaration form with their names and exact address to keep track of their health history and for contact-tracing purposes.
"They will be sent home to undergo home quarantine, and we will make sure the barangays will be informed," Rojas said.
Lieutenant Commander Jansen Benjamin, head of the Philippine Coast Guard in Negros Occidental, said the coast guards are the ones who check the requirements of the passengers boarding from Iloilo City.
The requirements for LSIs from areas outside Western Visayas are travel authority and medical certificate and they will undergo a 14-day quarantine in the city's facility and a swab test upon arrival.
Returnees from areas within Western Visayas are only required to submit a travel authority and medical certificate and are to undergo home quarantine, to be monitored by their respective barangays.
OFWs are required to present travel authority, quarantine certificate, negative RT-PCR test, and will also undergo a 14-day quarantine and a repeat swab test.
Same requirement are needed from returnees via air travel.
"Before the vessels depart, the coast guard also conducts an actual headcount and makes sure social distancing is observed," Benjamin added.
Leonardia said during the meeting that the Bacolod LGU will coordinate with the Provincial Government regarding the resumption of commercial flights on June 8.
This is in light of the letter sent by Secretary Carlito Galvez, chief implementer of the National Task Force Against Covid-19, stating that the resumption of commercial flights will depend upon the decision of the LGU.
Regardless of the decision on the resumption of commercial flights, sweeper flights will continue for necessary air travels and returnees.
Other attendees of the meeting were IATF chair Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, Councilors Renecito Novero, Simple Distrito, Al Victor Espino, Archie Baribar, Israel Salanga, Dindo Ramos, Bartolome Orola, Ana Marie Palermo, Lady Gles Pallen, and Ayesha Joy Villafor; Secretary to the Mayor Atty. Edward Joseph Cuansing, City Legal Officer Joselito Bayatan, Executive Assistant George Zulueta, City Health Officer Dr. Ma. Carmela Gensoli, City Tourism Officer Sandra Ruth Sycip, DILG-Bacolod director Ma. Joy Meredith Madayag, Major Lester Leada of the Bacolod City Police Office, Dianna Jane Alacala of the Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Office, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines Area Manager Engr. Percy Malonesio, and other representatives of the BCPO, CHO, and Philippine Coast Guard. (PR)