By Rey Anthony Chiu/PIA-Bohol | 01:19 PM August 01, 2021
As the national Inter-Agency Task Force for the management of Emerging Infectious Diseases approved the latest resolution nailing the risk-level classifications of provinces, highly urbanized and independent cities, Boholano travelers to nearby provinces may be affected.
With neighboring provinces and cities adopting their own traveler admission requirements and the national IATF updated quarantine classifications, Philippine Coast Guard Western Bohol Station’s representative Seaman First Class (S1C) Michael Phillip Tan advises: travelers from Bohol should make sure they register at the country’s online travel advisory site: s-pass.ph.
S-PaSS is a travel management system developed by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) VI primarily intended to make travelling of Locally Stranded Individuals (LSIs), Returning Overseas Filipinos (ROFs) Emergency Travelers (ETs), and other travelers during this pandemic Safe, Swift, and Smart.
The site also facilitates fast coordination between traveler and destination local government units by making information about travel requirements available in advance, S1C Tan bared at the Kapihan sa PIA detailing inter-provincial travel policies in this time of the pandemic.
For Boholanos or travelers originating from Bohol, when one registers at the s-pass.ph, one would be informed in advance of the quarantine classification of the place of destination or the travel requirements needed to get into a destination.
The PGC, who are among those who would screen passengers using ports to travel outside Bohol, said some provinces, due to the continued risk of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) insist on getting assurances that the entering person is safe and demands a negative for Covid in a Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction Test result taken 72 hours prior to travel.
Meanwhile, other provinces, especially those which are classified with unrestricted travel need no Travel Coordination Permit (TCP).
Destinations classified with restricted travel demands a TCP, along with other requirements from LGUs of destinations, especially for Authorized Persons Outside Residents (APORS), essential travelers, locally stranded individuals (LSI) and leisure travelers, he said.
While the s-pass has not yet been updated as of Saturday, the national IATF which has approved another reclassification of places based on their risk assessments in its meeting July 29, has placed some of Bohol’s neighboring islands in different classifications, effective August 1.
For example, when travel to Cebu Province before only needs s-pass registration and a Travel Pass-thru-Permit to be accepted in the port of Cebu before proceeding to destination, things may have changed starting August 1.
The national IATF has placed Cebu City, Cebu Province, Mandaue City and Lapulapu City in a Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ).
With that, based on the national IATF comparative matrix for quarantine classifications, travel into these areas are restricted.
Prior to placing Cebu under MECQ, effective August 1, travelers to the city need to register at s-pass, secure a TCP, present a valid government ID, a negative RT-PCR result or a Certificate of Recovery is traveler is a COVID survivor.
For travelers to Mandaue City from the port of Tubigon in Bohol, before the recent MECQ, travelers entering the city need to secure a TCP, a government issued ID, confirmed hotel booking, travel itinerary and has to pass the symptoms for COVID screening at the port of destination.
Moreover, travelers from the port of Tagbilaran to Plaridel in Misamis Occidental, which is now classified as MGCQ like Bohol, now demands s-pass registration, accepts vaccination cards and allows entry as long as traveler passes the symptoms screening at the port.
In the traveler is just passing through Plaridel, then a Pass through Permit would be needed.
For travelers from Jagna to Cagayan de Oro which is still under Enhanced Community Quarantine, travel is still restricted.
Travelers from Ubay in Bohol to Southern Leyte (Maasin) and Leyte (Palompon, Bato) going in demands S-Pass, TCP, Saliva PCR or RT PCR 72 hours prior to travel, government issued ID and the province’s quick reaction code (QR). (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)