ILOILO City – People not vaccinated against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are now not allowed to enter seaports in the islands of Panay and Guimaras being supervised by the Philippine Ports Authority – Port Management Office (PPA-PMO).
The policy covers passengers of ships, PPA employees, and crew of fastcrafts and roll on, roll off ships, said Engineer Antonio Belarga, engineering services manager of the PPA-PMO based in Barangay Loboc, Lapuz district.
At the entrances of ports, people wanting to enter must first present the physical or digital copies of their COVID-19 vaccine card issued by their local government unit, or vaccine certification issued by the Department of Health.
For further verification, they must also show a valid government-issued identification card with picture and address.
This is in consonance with the recently issued memorandum circular of PPA general manager Jay Daniel Santiago supporting the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) “no vaccination, no ride” policy contained in Department Order No. 2022-001, Belarga told Panay News.
He also stressed that there are no substitutes to the required COVID-19 vaccine cards or DOH vaccination certificates, not even a negative result of a reverse transcription – polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test.
A negative RT-PCR test result is not mentioned as a substitute or alterative in the memorandum circular of the PPA general manager, stressed Belarga.
“Kon wala man lang sila sang ipakita nga documents, for the time being indi na lang sila mag-proceed sa aton ports,” he added.
Belarga, however, said there are exemptions:
* persons with medical conditions that prevent their full COVID-19 vaccination as shown by a duly-signed medical certificate with the name and contact details of their doctor
* persons who will buy essential goods and services, such as but not limited to food, water, medicine, medical devices, public utilities, energy, work, and medical and dental necessities, as shown by a duly issued barangay health pass or other proof to justify travel.
Ports under the supervisions of PPA-PMO in Region 6 are the Dumangas Port in Dumangas, Iloilo; Fort San Pedro Port in Barangay San Pedro, Iloilo City; Culasi Port in Roxas City, Capiz; Estancia port in Estancia, Iloilo; Caticlan port in Malay, Aklan; and International port in Loboc, Lapuz district./PN
