BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – Travelers can now heave a sigh of relief. After months of restrictions brought about by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, buses bound for areas outside Negros Occidental are finally set to resume trips.
According to Rayfrando Diaz, provincial administrator, they have been finalizing the implementing guidelines with representatives from Vallacar Transit Inc., operator of Ceres Liner and Tours buses, and officials from the northbound and southbound terminals in this city.
Among the trips slated to resume are in the following routes: Bacolod City – Dumaguete City (via San Carlos City); Bacolod City – Canlaon City (via San Carlos City); Bacolod City – Cebu City (via Tabuelan); Bacolod City – Zamboanga City; and a new Sipalay City – Cebu City route.
“When we asked them (transport representatives) if they can meet the requirements set by the NIATF (National Inter-Agency Task Force), they said they can,” Diaz said.
Under NIATF Resolution No. 101, travel authorities and medical certificates are no longer necessary. However, travelers are required to undergo a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test with negative result 72 hours prior to travel.
Quarantine is 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 and the StaySafe.PH app for contact tracing.
Travelers would be subjected to health screening before boarding the bus, as well as those arriving at the terminals.
Dizon added that the bus trips would be “point-to-point”, meaning drivers are not allowed to bring in passengers in between destinations, and passengers are also not allowed to disembark prior to reaching the terminal.
Diaz emphasized that the move aims to make sure they can easily track the movement of the travelers.
Moreover, travelers have the option to voluntarily undergo RT-PCR test or have themselves facility quarantined upon arrival in the province for free, according to the executive order recently signed by Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson.
“We still have a lot of discussions to make, but overall, this is good news to the residents of the province,” Diaz said.
He appealed to travelers to be responsible, especially those outside Negros Occidental as some areas are now experiencing a massive spike in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases.
“We all cooperated to the point that our local cases have become single digit. Some municipalities are even reporting zero cases. It would be irresponsible kun mag pinagusto na lang ta biyahe,” Diaz stressed.
When asked if the Bacolod-Manila (via Batangas) bus route will also resume, Diaz said the matter has yet to be discussed.
Mayors and governors in Western Visayas are currently monitoring the COVID-19 situation in Metro Manila, he said./PN
