THE Cebu Port Authority (CPA) reminded the public anew to make sure that they have secured all the necessary requirements to travel before going to the port.
The reminder was issued as the CPA, together with partner government agencies and Cebu City Government, gears up for the resumption of travel for locally stranded individuals (LSIs), repatriated overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), and Authorized Persons Outside Residence (Apor) following the announcement made by President Rodrigo Duterte downgrading Cebu City's quarantine status from modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) to general community quarantine (GCQ).
The GCQ status for Cebu City is effective August 1, 2020.
“Those with incomplete requirements will not be allowed entry in our ports. This is in compliance to the provisions of the National Task Force Order 2020-02 on the Operational Guidelines on the Management of Locally Stranded Individuals and to prevent terminal congestion given the required 50 percent capacity restrictions set by the Covid-19 Interagency Task Force,” said CPA General Manager Leonilo Miole.
He said all passengers must be required to present their medical certificate issued by their city/municipal health office, travel authority issued by the Philippine National Police, Letter of Acceptance issued by the mayor of the receiving local government unit, a boat ticket and a valid ID or any official document that sufficiently identifies the passenger at the Port Main Entrance (Pier 1 and Pier 3).
Without these documents, they will be refused entry into the port area, said the CPA.
“We are now requiring all LSIs to present their Letter of Acceptance together with the above-mentioned requirements to avoid passengers from being stranded here in our port terminals because their LGU of destination refuses to accept them. Individuals reporting for work will also need to present their company ID and Certificate of Employment issued by their employers,” said Miole.
To manage all arriving LSIs in Cebu Port and ensure that social distancing measures are complied, all incoming passengers shall be fetched by the buses of the CPA and the Cebu City Government from their vessels to the staging area located at the back of the Malacañang sa Sugbo in order to perform health monitoring procedures to be conducted by the Cebu City Quick Response Team (QRT) and wait for LGU shuttle buses to pick them up back to their hometowns or residences.
No private cars shall be allowed to pick up incoming passengers except those with clearance from the city or municipal government.
Well-wishers, welcome parties, idle persons, and those with no legitimate business in the port shall not be allowed entry into the port or within the immediate vicinity of the port gates.
For passengers coming from Manila, the designated staging area is at Gate 6 (Berth 11) with tents, power supply, flushing and swabbing stations installed and facilitated by the Cebu City Government.
“This is a welcome development and we are happy that our LSIs can finally return back to their hometowns after being stranded here for three months or more, our only appeal is for them to strictly comply with all the necessary requirements and to follow all port safety protocols at all times,” added Miole.
"We also appeal to the LGUs in Cebu to ensure that the LSIs that they transport to the port have complete travel documents as required otherwise, they shall not be allowed to enter the port. This is to avoid persons being stranded in the port," Miole said. (PR)