TRAVEL BAN ENDS: LGUs to start accepting returning residents, APORs

Local government units (LGUs) in Region 6 will start accepting returning residents and authorized persons outside residence (APORs) starting this week as the travel moratorium imposed on the region from COVID-hit areas expires today, April 19, 2021.

Mayor Jerry Treñas announced on Friday that LGUs in Western Visayas will accept returning residents and APORs within the week subject to the protocols of the receiving LGU.

“The LGUs of Region 6 will start accepting returning residents and APOR after the approved moratorium of travel expires next week subject to the respective protocols prescribed by each LGU,” he said on Friday.

All forms of travel from the National Capital Region (NCR) including the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal, or “NCR plus”, as well as Cebu and Davao City were initially halted from April 4-10, 2021 following the request of the local chief executives (LCEs) in the region due to the surge of Covid-19 cases.

The national Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) granted the request for suspension of travel in the region.

The travel moratorium was again extended from April 13-19, 2021 in response to the continuous spike of Covid-19 cases in the country.

In Iloilo City, Executive Order (EO) No. 33 was issued by Treñas providing guidelines for returning residents and APORs bound to Iloilo City upon the lifting of travel moratorium in the region.

Under the EO, all travelers bound to Iloilo City are required to utilize the Safe, Swift, and Smart Passage (S-PaSS) Travel Management System. The system will be used by the travelers in uploading the soft copies of their travel requirements.

For returning residents of Iloilo City, they are required to obtain a certificate of residency from their respective barangays in Iloilo City whereas a copy of hotel or accommodation establishment booking must be secured by non-residents of Iloilo City.

The above-mentioned requirements must be uploaded to the S-PaSS to obtain a Travel Coordination Permit (TCP). Once verified, a QR code will be sent to the travelers indicating the approval of their receiving LGU. The QR code shall likewise be presented upon arrival at the ports of entry in Iloilo City.

Meanwhile, APORs staying in Iloilo for not more than 24 hours are required to pass additional requirements aside from those mentioned above such as a negative RT-PCR test result three days prior to the date of travel.

APORs must also provide their identification card, travel order, and travel itinerary while APORs traveling for medical purposes must secure a certification from a physician, hospital, or healthcare provider indicating the medical services to be rendered by the said APOR.

Upon arrival, locally stranded individuals (LSIs), Returning Overseas Filipino Workers (ROFs), tourists, and APORs staying in Iloilo City for more than 24 hours will be required to undergo a swab test at the Iloilo International Airport for those travelling by air and those traveling by sea shall proceed to Jubilee Hall for swab testing. (ERS)