Fastcrafts plying Bacolod-Iloilo City route halted a day before suspension order

BACOLOD CITY––Fastcrafts plying the Bacolod-Iloilo City route stopped operations on Tuesday, Aug. 3.

The halt came a day ahead of an order of Mayor Jerry Treñas temporarily suspending all inbound air and sea travel to Iloilo City, which is under enhanced community quarantine from Aug. 4 to 8.

Treñas said he was imposing a “hard lockdown” to curb the surge in COVID-19 cases in Iloilo City.

Capt. Ludovico Librilla Jr., Coast Guard Station – Negros Occidental commander, said travel between Iloilo and Bacolod cities would be halted until Aug. 8.

However, they have not received any instructions for the halt of roll-on-roll-off vessels plying the Bacolod City-Guimaras in the Iloilo province route, he said.

Frank Carbon, Weesam Express consultant, said they halted operations Tuesday because the swab test requirement of Bacolod-bound travelers before departure from Iloilo City had drastically reduced their passengers. One trip had only seven passengers, he said, adding that the situation was very bad for the economy.

Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia has issued an order requiring inbound passengers from Panay, where the COVID-19 Delta variant has been detected, and other parts of the country to present COVID-19 negative RTPCR test results.

Carbon, also the chief executive officer of the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry, issued an appeal to Leonardia on behalf of the business sector and the shipping lines to amend his executive order regulating travel of persons from Panay Island to Bacolod.

Persons from Panay with no negative swab test results should be allowed to enter Bacolod, provided they submit to mandatory swab tests on arrival, he said.

Carbon pointed out that the Bacolod City government already has a swab-and-go protocol at the BREDCO Port in Bacolod, which would save passengers from paying for expensive swab tests from the Panay end.

Carbon also suggested that instead of the S-PaSS Travel Coordination Permit, a letter of acceptance from the barangay of destination be allowed.

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