NEGROS Occidental Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz confirmed Tuesday, March 16, that bus trips to and from Negros Occidental to neighboring provinces, including Negros Oriental, will resume soon.
Diaz said they have met with representatives of the Vallacar Transit Incorporated (VTI) and officials from the Northbound and Southbound Terminals in Bacolod City to discuss plans for the resumption of bus trips heading to destinations outside of Negros Occidental.
According to Diaz, the proposed bus trips of VTI only needs the approval of Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, who will issue the letter of no objection, which is required so that the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board will grant the permit for the bus firm's proposed trip schedules and details.
Among the trips that are scheduled to resume are Bacolod-Dumaguete (via San Carlos City), Bacolod-Canlaon City (via San Carlos City), Bacolod-Cebu City (via Tabuelan), Bacolod-Zamboanga, and a new route Sipalay-Cebu City.
"We asked them if they can meet the requirements set by the NIATF [National Inter-Agency Task Force], they replied that they can meet the requirements," Diaz said.
Under IATF Resolution 101, travel authorities and medical certificates are no longer necessary. However, travelers are required to undergo RT-PCR test 72 hours prior to their trip.
Mandatory swabbing and quarantine are also no longer needed, although as per the Provincial Government's protocols, travelers entering Negros Occidental are required to register via the S-Pass System, as well as the StaySafe.PH app.
Travelers will also be subjected to health screening before boarding the bus, as well as those arriving at the terminals.
The provincial administrator added that the bus trips will be a "point-to-point" trip, meaning they are not allowed to either bring in passengers in between destinations, and the passengers inside the bus are also not allowed to disembark the vehicle.
Diaz pointed out the move aims to make sure that they can easily track the movements of the travelers.
He also said that as per the executive order signed by Lacson, travelers also have the option of voluntarily undergoing RT-PCR test or have themselves facility quarantined upon their arrival in the province for free.
"We still have a lot of discussions to make, but overall, this is good news to the residents of the province," Diaz said.
Diaz also appealed to travelers to be responsible, especially those located from outside Negros Occidental as some areas are now experiencing a massive spike in the number of Covid-19 transmissions.
"We all cooperated to the point that our local cases have become single digit and some municipalities are even reporting zero cases, it will be irresponsible kung mag pinagusto na lang ta biyahe," Diaz said.
When asked if the Bacolod-Manila (via Batangas) bus route will also resume, Diaz said the matter has not yet been discussed, as mayors and governors in Western Visayas are still currently monitoring the situation in Metro Manila.
"We will study kung ano ang lakat sa Manila, but again [we might] stop travel between Manila and Bacolod kung maglain pa gid ang ila situation," he added.