Airports reopening up to LGUs, reg’l task force

By Emme Rose Santiagudo

All airports in Region 6 will remain closed for commercial flights until June 15, 2020 unless local government units (LGUs) and the Regional Inter Agency Task Force (RIATF) on the COVID-19 crisis will lift travel restrictions in Western Visayas.

This was reiterated by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) amid announcements by local airlines of their domestic flight schedules.

“As far as the Iloilo airport and all the area airports in the region are concerned, technically closed and dependent on the regional task force. The resumption of commercial flights will depend if the LGUs in the region will allow and lift their restrictions,” CAAP Iloilo Terminal Supervisor Art Parreño told Daily Guardian in a phone interview.

According to Parreño, they are waiting for the final decision of the regional task force on the lifting of air travel restrictions in Western Visayas.

He said that a meeting between CAAP and the RIATF was scheduled on Tuesday to discuss the final decision of the local government units on the resumption of commercial flights.

“Unfortunately, until now wala pa ma klaro ang ila meeting kon ano gid man bala ang decision sang regional task force,” he said.

On the part of Iloilo International Airport in Cabatuan town, Parreño said the Notice to Airman (NOTAM) indicating that the airport remains closed to commercial operations was extended from June 10 to June 15 pursuant to Executive Order No. 128 of Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr.

“We were declared as MGCQ giving the LGU the right to restrict the travel of persons and vehicles in and out of their jurisdiction. And so, because of that, we extended our NOTAM para coordinated kami. Otherwise open na ang airport pero may restrictions pa ang mga LGU,” he said.

EO No. 128 set the implementing guidelines for the Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) in Iloilo province from June 1 to June 15.

Section 3 of the EO imposes restriction on persons travelling in the province except for government officials, uniformed and health personnel, Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and locally stranded individuals (LSIs) returning to the province, and persons granted passage to the airport for travel abroad or from the airport to the border.

In previous media interviews, Defensor has said that even if commercial flights will resume in Iloilo airport, the flights will prioritize OFWs and LSIs returning to Iloilo province.

“I don’t know when it will resume. If ever commercial flights will resume, they will be dedicated to OFWs and LSIs. Because as of now, we don’t expect any tourists,” he said.

Parreño said an advisory covering the suspension of commercial flights until June 15 in all airports covered by CAAP Area 6 is now awaiting the approval of Area Manager Efren Nagrama.

“Indi mag-resume ang commercial flights otherwise you will be violating the executive order of the governor as well as the mayors of the concerned airport,” he said.

Airports under CAAP Area 6 include Antique airport, Bacolod-Silay International Airport, Caticlan Airpot, Iloilo International Airport, Kalibo International Airport, and Roxas Airport.