BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA AND MAE SINGUAY
BACOLOD City – The seven-day travel moratorium being sought for the islands of Panay and Negros has a low chance of getting the approval of the National Inter-Agency Task Force (NIATF) for it would affect the region’s economy, according to the head of a business group here.
The government “can no longer afford to take care” of Filipinos suffering from the effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, said Frank Carbon, chief executive officer of the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI).
The MBCCI projected a P50-million loss to the economy if the NIATF approves the recommendation.
“Wala income ang negosyante. Wala sweldo ang workers. Wala income ang grocery. Wala income ang markets. Wala revenue ang oil companies. In short, we will take out P50 million from circulation,” the operator of Weesam Fast Ferry stressed.
Carbon explained that in rich countries, when they implement the same they subsidize the business sector and affected individual so that money will continue to circulate.
He said the business sector was surprised of the travel ban proposal. None from the business sector in Western Visayas have been consulted, he claimed.
Local chief executives in Western Visayas requested for a moratorium on the movement of non-essential travelers and Authorized Persons Outside of Residence (APORs) to and from the islands of Panay and Negros to curb COVID-19 transmission.
Iloilo City’s Mayor Jerry Treñas said the members of the Joint Regional Inter-Agency Task Force and the Regional Task Force (RIATF-RTF) would be endorsing the request to the National IATF and NTF for approval.
Meantime, since Treñas’ request was only approved in the regional level, sea trips between Bacolod City, Iloilo City and Dumangas town in Iloilo remained normal.
Negros Occidental’s Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson backed Treñas’ proposal.
The moratorium would exempt APORS in the health sector, humanitarian workers and uniformed personnel.
Should the request be approved, the IATF-NTF shall provide a two-day lead time for the moratorium to be announced and disseminated to affected travelers to be made aware of, so as not to inconvenience the operations of businesses and other relevant activities in both islands./PN
