ILOILO – This province is restricting non-essential inbound travel as well as movement within it to arrest further coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission.
Yesterday, Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. issued an executive order imposing such starting June 4 until June 18.
Who are exempted?
* Authorized Persons Outside Residence (APORs) that include:
a. health and emergency frontline services personnel;
b. government officials and government frontline personnel;
c. duly authorized humanitarian assistance actors (HAAs);
d. persons traveling for medical or humanitarian reasons, especially those transporting medical supplies and laboratory specimens related to COVID-19, and other relief humanitarian assistance;
e. persons going to and from the airport;
f. persons crossing zones (local government units) for work or business permitted in the zone (LGUs) of destinations, or activities as may be authorized by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), and going back home; and
g. public utility vehicle operators (driver and crew).
* returning residents
* overseas Filipino workers (OFWs)
“Notwithstanding the adjusted and heightened community quarantine measures under the modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), for the two-week period from May 14, 2021 to May 27, 2021, the daily average of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the province is 82, with an average daily attack rate (ADAR) of 4.00, and a two-week growth rate of 41.29 percent,” read part of the EO.
Iloilo is currently experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases with 7,757 total confirmed COVID-19 cases (as of May 30), wherein 1,402 were active, according to Defensor.
He added: “To address the surge, there is a need to enforce measures to significantly reduce people circulation to minimize, if not eliminate, further transmission.
TRAVEL PASS
Within the same period, travel passes would be required for all APORs such as:
* APORs from national government agencies and other government offices/corporations – government travel pass
* non-government APORs (APORs working in the private sector) – company/employer travel pass
(Non-working days shall require special company/employer travel pass.)
* other APORs working or doing business in other livelihood sectors (e.g. agriculture and fisheries sectors) – LGU travel pass from the municipal/city mayor
(The municipal/city mayor may delegate the issuance of LGU travel pass to the punong barangay)
APORs shall secure their travel order or travel pass before June 4.
Government offices/corporations, companies/employers and LGUs are enjoined to facilitate the issuance of travel orders and travel passes to their employees/personnel/constituents before said date.
The travel passes shall contain the following data:
a. name of government office/LGU/company/employer;
b. office/company/employer address and contact number;
c. name of employee;
d. position of employee;
e. address of employee;
f. purpose of travel;
g. name and signature of issuing officer;
h. travel pass number;
i. date of issue; and
j. validity date
BARANGAY MONITORING AND CONTROL POINTS
Barangay monitoring and control points shall be established to check and ensure that residents intending to travel outside the municipality/city have the required travel pass.
Residents are also urged to secure/procure basic necessities or essential goods and services from within the municipality/city, except for medicines and other medical needs (if not available in the LGU) for which an LGU travel pass shall be issued.
Defensor also directed all local chief executives to ensure the accessibility of essential goods and services, as well as, the full operational capacity of their sources, such as, but not limited to, public markets, stores, water stations, drug stores, banks, and automated teller machines (ATMs).
“Local taskforces and the Philippine National Police are enjoined to conduct patrolling, inspection, exercise visitorial power, and conduct provincial and municipal border check points,” Defensor said.
EXTENDED INDEFINITELY
Defensor likewise ordered the extension of liquor ban and the suspension of operation of resorts, beaches and other tourism and recreational establishments in the province.
“The consumption/drinking in any setting, whether public or private place, and the selling, furnishing, offering, buying, serving, dispensing and transporting of alcoholic beverages, such as, whisky, brandy, gin, vodka, rum, cocktail, wine, champagne, beer and such other intoxicating drinks, shall be prohibited from June 1, 2021, until revoked,” Defensor said in a separate EO.
Moreover, the operation/use of facilities/venues/ areas for recreation and leisure (such as, swimming pools, cottages, beaches, playgrounds, game rooms, function rooms, dining halls, food stations, bars and dance halls) of tourism, recreation and accommodation establishments (such as, beach resorts, inland resorts, water parks, amusement parks, ecological parks, hotels, tourist inns, motels, pension houses, apartment hotels, private homes used for homestay, ecolodges, serviced apartments, condotels, and bed and breakfast establishments) shall be suspended from June 1, 2021, until revoked.
Swimming and other recreation activities in public beaches, inland waters and other tourist spots shall also be prohibited from June 1, 2021, until revoked./PN
