Resumption of Iloilo-Bacolod sea trips moved to June 1

Resumption of sea trips moved to June 1
Mae Singuay - May 16, 2020 https://www.panaynews.net/resumption-of-sea-trips-moved-to-june-1/

BACOLOD City – Sea trips from this capital city bound for Iloilo and vice versa slated to resume on Monday, May 18, will not push through.

In an interview over radio station Bombo Radyo-Iloilo, Jose Venancio Vero, director of the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) Region 6, said they moved the resumption of sea trips to June 1.

This development came after Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson sent a letter to Maritime Industry Authority Administrator Robert Empedrad and Philippine Coast Guard Commandant Joel Garcia, appealing to delay the resumption of sea travel.

“I would like to request your office to postpone the implementation of this directive until May 31, 2020. In the same way that passenger airlines moved the resumption of all domestic flights to June 1, 2020. I believe that it is but wise and prudent that all domestic sea travels should resume on the same date,” he said in the letter.

“I hope that the national government will respect the right and authority of the local government to enact measures to protect the health and welfare of its constituents,” Lacson added.

Yesterday, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)-Negros Occidental commander Lieutenant Commander Jansen Benjamin announced that trips between the two cities will be allowed subject to health restrictions to avoid the spread of COVID-19.

Negros Occidental was placed under enhanced community quarantine from March 30 to April 30 to contain the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The province, which shifted to general community quarantine on May 1, has nine COVID-19 cases, three of whom have already recovered.

(With PIA/PNA/PN)