BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – Fast craft trips from this city to Iloilo City and vice versa are still suspended even if both cities are now under general community quarantine.
Lieutenant Commander Jansen Benjamin, Philippine Coast Guard-Negros Occidental chief, said there is no order yet from Mayor Jerry Treñas of Iloilo City and Mayor Evelio Leonardia of Bacolod City as to when the trips of fast crafts would resume.
On the other hand, roll-on, roll-off (ro-ro) trips between Bacolod City and Dumangas, Iloilo continue, although limited to serving rolling cargoes, frontliners, government officials, and authorized persons outside of residence (APORs). Those traveling are still required to present pertinent documents prior to boarding.
Locally stranded individuals are also allowed to travel via ro-ro. However, aside from their travel documents, they must also have prior clearance from their respective local government units.
Frank Carbon, chief executive officer of the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI), pushed for the resumption of inter-island and inter-province trading across Negros, Panay and Cebu as one of the measures to spur economic recovery amid the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.
The inter-province trading actually contributes 20 to 30 percent to the local economy, he said, thus ferry services for goods and passengers between Bacolod and Iloilo cities, Negros and Cebu provinces, Negros and Guimaras provinces, and Negros and Panay islands should be opened.
Meanwhile, since Boracay Island in Malay Aklan is now open to local tourists, Benjamin said Negrenses going to the popular holiday destination are required to show a negative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction test result not beyond 48 hours before they travel.
Benjamin said Boracay-bound tourists are allowed to board ro-ro vessels to travel to Caticlan.
Aside from the required negative test result, they must also present a valid accommodation booking, prior to entering the island./PN
