ILOILO City – The municipality of Buenavista, Guimaras has launched a resident’s identification (ID) card system for faster contact tracing despite the province remaining free from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection.
Mayor Eugenio Reyes said the ID card is for residents to use at the Buenavista wharf when going to and arriving from Iloilo City and when visiting the municipal office.
“If they (already) have the ID, they can swipe them in a scanner. A printed receipt indicating the date, time of entry or exit and name of the motorboat will then come out. In case a person is positive for COVID-19, it’s easy to conduct contact tracing,” he explained.
For non-residents, they have to fill out the required forms when entering or leaving Buenavista, Reyes added.
He encouraged the residents – aged five years old and above – to avail themselves of the ID card which is issued by the municipality for free.
“Ang local government unit (LGU) nag gasto gid sini para sa protection sang aton pumuluyo, so I appeal to all residents to avail the ID kay free man ini,” said Reyes.
In order to have the ID card, residents should fill out first a personal data form which they can get from their respective village officials.
According to Reyes, they are the first LGU in Western Visayas to implement the ID system which aims to strengthen safety measures against the virus.
“The province of Guimaras remains the only province in Western Visayas to be COVID-free, yet we are not complacent. We are exerting all our efforts by observing proper protocols and precautions as mandated by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases. Contact tracing to individuals with confirmed, probable and suspected exposure to the virus and isolation and quarantine measures are carried out,” the mayor added.
The town of Buenavista has a total of 36 villages. Around 40,000 residents can avail themselves of the ID card./PN
