By Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD City – Non-residents in this city, particularly those from the towns and cities of Negros Occidental, who wish to return to their hometowns should coordinate with the provincial government and/or their municipality or city governments for travel requirements and procedures, not with the City Government of Bacolod.
Mayor Evelio Leonardia’s Executive Order (EO) No. 1 does not apply to provincial residents, the Bacolod City Emergency Operations Center (EOC) clarified.
“Executive Order No. 1 is applicable only to Bacolod residents who will return to Bacolod,” Dr. Chris Sorongon of the EOC said.
Leonardia issued EO No. 1 to monitor the entry of residents into Bacolod by establishing and consolidated the guidelines to follow for safe travel.
“In order to sustain flattening the curve, the City of Bacolod has implemented proactive measures such as community monitoring and surveillance, especially on the health protocols and safety measures in preventing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic within its territory as well as to its neighboring LGUs, to ensure that no stone is left unturned in the fight against COVID-19,” part of the EO read.
Sorongon said that some non-Bacolod residents are misguided and assumed that they need to coordinate with the Bacolod City Government before they are allowed entry in their respective hometowns.
“We still keep receiving messages from non-Bacolod residents asking the requirements needed. If you’re returning to other cities or municipalities, coordinate with the provincial government and your respective LGUs (local government units),” he added.
Based on the data collected by the EOC, 29 persons who entered Bacolod had tested positive for COVID-19 from October 1, 2020 to January 4, 2021.
Traveling within Western Visayas remains to be “unhampered” and “unrestricted,” Sorongon said.
Sorongon also emphasized that the negative 72-hour RT-PCR test result requirement for Bacolod returning residents must be through swabbing and not through a rapid antigen test. (With a report from CITY PIO)
