BACOLOD City Mayor Evelio Leonardia has issued Executive Order (EO) No. 1, establishing the consolidated guidelines for travel into the City of Bacolod.
Leonardia, who signed the EO on January 4, 2021, said that during the modified general community quarantine in November and December 2020, the number of positive coronavirus cases in Bacolod City had been greatly reduced and only less than 50 active cases.
Based on data collected by the Emergency Operations Center, a total of 29 persons who have entered Bacolod City hd tested positive for the coronavirus from October 2020 to present.
Leonardia said while the city saw reduced number of infected cases, such positive outlook may be endangered by travelers coming from the outside.
With the Bacolod under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), inter-island travel for essential and non-essential purposes had been permitted.
To sustain the "flattening curve," Leonardia said the City of Bacolod had implemented proactive measures such as community monitoring and surveillance, especially on health protocols and safety measures in preventing the spread of the coronavirus within its territory, as well as to its neighboring local government units (LGUs), to ensure that "no stone is left unturned in the fight against Covid-19."
According to the EO, no person will be allowed entry into the city without presenting a Notice of Coordination (NOC).
NOCs will be issued upon the submission of the following documents:
For the locally stranded individuals (LSIs)
-Negative swab test results taken within three days before the date of travel
-Letter of Coordination from the office of Councilor Cindy T. Rojas, which may be requested through email at spmcindyrojas@yahoo.com or through telephone number 034-4353607. LSIs coming from Cebu may contact Leshi Kojima at 0905-2238081
-Joint Task Force Covid-19 Shield Travel Authority (MedicaI Certificate, Barangay Clearance from LGU of origin)
-BaCTrac identification card
-Online Health Declaration Form
For non-essential travel
-Negative swab test results taken within three days before the date of travel
-Travel itinerary for the duration of stay in Bacolod City or for the first 10 days, whichever is shorter
-Joint Task Force Covid-19 Shield Travel Authority (Medical Certificate, Barangay Clearance from LGU of origin);
-Confirmed booking of accommodation in Bacolod City
-Roundtrip ticket/travel details
-BaCTrac identification card (ID)
-Online Health Declaration Form
For returning residents arriving from countries with travel restrictions due to new Covid-19 strain based on the NIATF list should have/do the following:
-A negative swab test result taken within three days before the date of travel
-Certificate of Completion of the mandatory 14-day quarantine in Manila
-BaCTrac ID
-Online Health Declaration Form
-Additional seven days home quarantine upon arrival in Bacolod City
Due to the recent spike in Covid-19 cases in various countries, returning overseas Filipino workers (OFW) and returning overseas Filipinos (ROF) must do the following:
-All OFWs and ROFs are required to coordinate with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration or the Department of Foreign Affairs prior to their arrival in Bacolod City, and with the barangay of residence.
-OFWs and ROFs are required to undergo swab testing upon arrival in Manila and quarantined until the negative result are released.
-Upon arrival in Bacolod City, the returning OFWs will be briefed, their documents checked and verified by the Action Team on Returning OFWs (ATRO) who will meet them at the Silay-Bacolod International Airport.
-OFWs and ROFs arriving from countries with travel restrictions due to the new Covid-19 strain, based on the NIATF list, and the People’s Republic of China will, in addition to the mandatory 14-day quarantine in Manila, undergo a seven-day home quarantine upon arrival in Bacolod City.
-They must present a BaCTrac ID, Online Health Declaration Form.
All concerns related to protocols on receiving returning OFWs who are Bacolod residents must be coordinated with Councilor Israel P. Salanga, chairperson of the Action Team on Returning OFWs.
Upon arrival, travelers must report to the receiving barangay for monitoring purposes through the Expanded Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams (E-Bherts).
Private Apors, non-essential travelers and LSIs must observe home or self-quarantine within 10 days from arrival. They will be released from quarantine upon certification by a licensed medical doctor that they have completed the quarantine period. If any of the symptoms manifest within the said period, they will undergo swab testing and further submit themselves to self-quarantine until results are released.
Persons traveling in transit in Bacolod City, except Apors, will not be allowed to go out of the seaport or airport and are required to present a subsequent ticket for their intended destination.
For Apors, travel to Bacolod City is permitted if they are essential workers or they ensure that businesses are unhampered.