BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – Several resorts and accommodation establishments such as hotels and inns in Negros Occidental are now fully booked for the Holy Week.
The Provincial Tourism Office (PTO) revealed this as the provincial government reopened its borders to tourists yesterday morning.
The Holy Week is from March 28 to April 3.
Around 60 to 70 percent of the province’s resorts and accommodations, especially those in northern Negros, are already in full operation, said PTO head Dr. Jennylind Cordero in an interview with RMN DYHB-Bacolod yesterday.
Despite the rising tourist arrivals expected for the period, Cordero said there is still no word as to when the Mambukal Resort in Murcia town would be reopened to the public. Renovations are still being conducted in the popular holiday spot, which is also owned by the provincial government.
Mambukal Resort has been closed since April last year, and it was temporarily used as a quarantine facility for arriving overseas Filipinos and locally stranded individuals.
Cordero further added that the Panaad sa Negros Festival has also been postponed. Funds for the event had been redirected to the province’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Negros Occidental reopened to inbound travelers yesterday morning in line with Resolution No. 101 of the National Inter-Agency Task Force (NIATF) which introduced uniform travel protocols.
Meanwhile, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson confirmed that the province’s borders with Negros Oriental and Cebu will be reopened, but with certain requirements prior to entry.
According to Lacson, travelers from Negros Oriental and Cebu are required to submit negative results of their reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests 72 hours prior to traveling.
Lacson added the precaution aims to control the number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases since most of the requirements for travelers such as medical certificates and travel authority passes have already been removed.
Over the weekend, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson signed Executive Order No. 21-18 series of 2021 adopting Resolution No. 101 issued by the NIATF.
Under the directive, travelers would no longer be compelled to go on quarantine unless they exhibit symptoms upon arrival.
Travelers are also no longer required to secure travel authorities or health certificates.
Authorized Persons Outside Residence from national government agencies and their attached agencies, on the other hand, must show their identification cards, travel orders and itineraries.
They must likewise pass symptom-screening at the ports of entry and exit./PN
