A BACOLOD City councilor is planning to pass a resolution to suspend the implementation of penalties for business establishments that are not yet ready by October 12, a local official said.
Bacolod City Administrator Em Ang on Wednesday, October 7, 2020, said Councilor Lady Gles Pallen, author of Ordinance 941 or the Covid-19 Contact Tracing System Ordinance of Bacolod City, has proposed to extend for another month the Bacolod City Covid-19 Contac Tracing (BaCTrac) registration for business establishments.
City Ordinance 941, authored by Pallen who is also president of the Liga ng mga Barangay, covers all business establishments, government offices, residents and visitors within the territorial jurisdiction of Bacolod City. This includes public utilities and spaces, such as public markets, public terminals and public transport.
On September 29, the City Government launched the app that will enable Bacolod City to use the South Cotabato Covid Contract Tracing System (SC-CCTS), which initially developed the program.
To facilitate the app's use, Bacolod City residents and visitors will be required to register online on the BacTrac system. To register, one can visit bactrac.bacolodcity.gov.ph or www.bacolodcity.gov.ph.
Government offices or business establishments are required to download the mobile application SC- CCTS Logger on Google Store to be able to scan BaCTrac cards.
Ang clarified that the citizens who fail to register have no penalty.
“The ordinance only provides the notice for establishments who do not register and do not use the scanning of the quick response (QR) code,” Ang said.
She said several citizens were asking on social media about the penalty if they fail to register.
“If you are not visiting government offices or establishments, it’s okay if you will not register,” she added.
Ang disclosed that once a person enters a government office or establishment, the QR code from his or her card will be scanned.
Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran also earlier asked Pallen to amend City Ordinance 941 or the Covid-19 Contact Tracing System Ordinance of Bacolod City for the extension of the deadline of the registration.
Familiaran said the City should extend the deadline of the registration to November 30 because some residents and visitors have encountered problems on the system registration.