ILOILO – To make sure no locally stranded individuals (LSIs) and persons from areas classified as high-risk for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission slip through the seaport of Dumangas town, the municipal government formed a marshal team there.
The marshal team is composed of personnel from the municipal health office and police station, and Philippine Coast Guard, among others.
It was formed after Mayor Ronaldo Golez conferred with Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. yesterday at the provincial capitol for the smooth implementation in Dumangas of the provincial chief executive’s order reimposing border restrictions because of the rising cases of COVID-19 in the province primarily due to the influx of LSIs.
The COVID marshals would inspect people in ships docking at the Dumangas seaport. Specifically, they would be checking if these people have the requirements needed to be allowed entry into the province.
“Tanan nga tawo nga masulod, i-check,” stressed Golez. “No proper documents, no entry.”
Residents of Iloilo province, Iloilo City and Guimaras coming from Capiz, Antique and Negros Occidental only have until today to return/enter Iloilo province.
They only need to present any proof of residence for them to be allowed entry.
The provincial government is re-imposing border restrictions up to July 15, as ordered by Governor Defensor in Executive Order (EO) No. 128-E.
Only allowed entry into the province are the following:
* government officials and personnel travelling in the performance of their functions
* health and emergency frontline personnel and duly authorized Humanitarian Assistance Actors
* persons traveling for medical or humanitarian reasons
* persons granted passage to the airport for travel abroad, or from the airport to the border, provided that, the travel within the Province shall be non-stop from the border to the airport or vice versa
* overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) returning to the province in trips organized by and under the auspices of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration; and
* residents of Iloilo City, the province of Guimaras travelling there from and into the province.
Returning residents who fail to return after today shall be considered as LSIs and shall be required of the following to enter the province:
* medical certificate from the originating/sending local government unit
* travel authority from the Chief of Police or higher command or Travel Authority issued by the governor to their returning constituents, in coordination with the Philippine National Police; and
* prior coordination and clearance with the provincial and concerned municipal governments
Entry shall only be allowed upon prior coordination and clearance with the provincial government.
Defensor said there is a need to re-impose restrictions on borders due to the threat in the ongoing movement of people all over the country.
“We are not secured with the treatment and regulations of traveling persons in other ports outside of Region 6 coming from Luzon,” he said.
“We need to go back to border restrictions, otherwise, we cannot protect our quarantine,” he added.
But the governor clarified that transportation concerning commerce and industry will not be hampered.
He said the restrictions might be lifted before July 15 depending on the development of the situation.
“If we see that we are secured, then we can lift it. And because of that, we continue to communicate with our fellow governors as well as the mayors,” he said.
As to drivers and crew of forwarders, the executive order states: “Whereas, under Section 5 of EO 128, drivers and accompanying crew of transportation or forwarding in the conduct of trade of cargo or social/humanitarian, services, fishing/marine activities, scientific/academic pursuit, and such other essential purposes shall be allowed entry into the Province, as an exception to the restriction on travel of persons under Section 3 thereof.”
Drivers and accompanying crew of transportation or forwarding in the conduct of trade of cargo or social/humanitarian, services, fishing/marine activities, scientific/academic pursuit, and such other essential purposes shall be allowed entry into the Province, subject to quarantine measures.
Those from Luzon, the province of Cebu and Cebu City shall not be allowed to exit from the port area, and the forwarding or delivery may proceed as follows:
a. the cargo/goods products shall be transloaded or transferred to a separate transport or hauler operated by a local driver and crew (coming from within the Province) for delivery to the point of destination; or
b. the original driver and crew (coming from the point of origin) of the transport or hauler shall be substituted by a local driver and crew (coming from within the province) for the delivery of the cargo/product to the point of destination, provided that the delivery shall be completed within a period of 48 hours, and provided further that the former (the original and crew) shall be quarantined on the port area while waiting the return of the transport of hauler from delivery; and
C. there shall be a quarantine facility for the abovementioned driver and crew in the port area (With a report from LHC, Capitol News/PN)
