ILOILO City – The Iloilo Airport in Cabatuan town will stop inbound commercial flights transporting locally stranded individuals (LSs) from Metro Manila, according to Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr.
However, sweeper flights arranged by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration would still fly returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), he stressed.
In his latest move, Defensor cited the directive of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) halting trips bringing LSIs to their respective provinces.
“Suspended anay [ang flights for LSIs] kay ti wala [man] sang pasahero,” Defensor said, adding he already informed the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP)-Iloilo.
When would these inbound flights resume?
Defensor said it will depend if when the IATF-MEID would allow the travel of LSIs.
Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr. Testing czar Vince Dizon announced the two-week suspension on Thursday, June 25, during a press briefing.
“Right now, the trips for our LSIs will have to be suspended because there will be a new protocol given that our test kits have arrived. LSIs will be subjected to mandatory PCR [testing] before they travel to their provinces,” he said.
“This is to make sure they are [COVID-19] free and, at the same time, we have to protect the communities and LGUs (local government units) they are going to,” he added.
Previously, reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests were only required for stranded individuals recovering from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19.)
The rest just needed to secure a medical clearance stating they weren’t confirmed, suspected, or probably coronavirus cases and had completed a 14-day quarantine.
Defensor, for his part, appealed for understanding and cooperation of the affected LSIs.
“Nagapangayo kita sang inyo nga pag intindi kag kooperasyon. Ginahimu lang naton ang tanan nga pag-andam kay ti may problema kita nga gina-atubang. Gusto man namon tani nga makapauli man kamo kag makaupod man kamo sa inyo pamilya galing kay naga-andam kita tungod sang COVID-19,” said Defensor.
On June 22, Defensor Jr. allowed the resumption of commercial flights from Metro Manila to Iloilo and vice versa after three months of suspension due to the community quarantine.
He issued Executive Order No. 128-C enforcing strict guidelines to be followed.
Only a maximum of 1,500 passengers shall be allowed for inbound flights per week.
The sale of airline tickets to LSIs and OFWs – who are not returning or traveling as organized by the OWWA – shall require a valid government-issued identification card showing relevant information such as residence, citizenship or occupation, provided that no return airline ticket should be issued.
The provincial government must be furnished with the passenger manifest of every flight by the airline and/or CAAP at least two days before the flight.
For LSIs and OFWs (who are both returning or traveling as organized by OWWA) the issuance of the boarding pass shall require medical certificate and travel authority and a valid government-issued identification card.
Also, chartered flights of OFWs shall be separate from the flights carrying LSI passengers.
“We are still under a modified general community quarantine and we still have border restrictions,” stressed Governor Defensor.
During a meeting with Defensor on June 18, executives of Air Asia, Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines agreed on the 1,500 weekly cap on airline passengers.
This number would be equally divided among the three airlines.
Each airline could have twice-a-week flights to the Iloilo Airport, according to CAAP-Iloilo chief Manuela Luisa Palma.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Iloilo Airport served around 25 arrival and departure flights daily. Just this June 16, Defensor approved outbound flights to Manila from the Iloilo Airport but only for locally stranded individuals, employees who have work in Metro Manila and overseas workers who have scheduled flights back to their employment abroad./PN
