Mayor, guv thresh out car pass clash

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – Mayor Evelio Leonardia and Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson ironed out the conflicts over car passes issued by the provincial government which were not honored in the city.

The complaints came mostly from provincial officials who went to the capitol Wednesday for work and other official business.

Leonardia assured Lacson that the more than 1,000 car passes issued by the provincial capitol will also be honored as entry permits into the city despite the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) that restricts travel in and out of the city to protect its citizens from COVID-19.

Leonardia clarified that these arrangements were made between the province and the city after Lacson requested Leonardia to honor the provincial car passes.

“We were unaware that the province had been issuing many car passes that people mistakenly thought also allowed them unhampered travel into and out of Bacolod, which is simply not the case. I regret this misunderstanding by the people,” Leonardia said.

He added that the belated appeal to the city has been resolved as quickly as possible.

City Legal Officer Joselito Bayatan, who heads the Bacolod City Core Group coordinating with the provincial government, and Provincial Incident Management Team commander Jonathan Lobaton met Tuesday to thresh out the issues on the car passes.

Leonardia said he had already agreed with Lacson that on Thursday, April 16, bearers of provincial car passes will still be allowed to enter and leave Bacolod.

But today, April 17, the odd-even scheme on the use of car passes into Bacolod will be implemented.

Vehicles with car plate numbers ending in odd numbers 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 shall be allowed entry into Bacolod on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Cars with registration plate numbers ending in even numbers 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 will be allowed entry on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

Window time of entry is 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. only.

Car passengers must be listed in the Provincial Car Passes (letter form) and must present their ID cards at Bacolod check-up points.

Passengers must observe Social Distancing.

There will be no more additional issuances of Provincial Car Passes except for emergency needs in coordination with the City Government.