(Photo by 1Bataan Integrated Transport System)
ORION, Bataan – The 1Bataan Integrated Transport System announced on Friday that its ferry service from and to Manila vice-versa will temporarily stop operation from March 15 to April 14 as President Rodrigo Duterte placed Metro Manila under community quarantine due to 2019 coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
To be affected by the stoppage are the three round trips daily of the ferry boat plying Manila to Orion at 7 a.m., 2 p.m. and 6:15 p.m. and Orion to Manila at 9 a.m., 4 p.m., and 8:15 p.m., said Joseph Loyola, transport system administrative head.
Loyola said lately because of the Covid-19, the average number of their passengers per trip went down to 80-100 compared to 140-150 before.
“From March 15 to April 14, we are suspending the trips with the fact that there is community quarantine in Metro Manila,” he said.
He also said as prevention to Covid-19, they installed an infrared thermal scanner at the Diosdado Macapagal Cruise Terminal in Port Capinpin in Barangay Puting Buhangin, Orion.
Loyola said that 40 percent of their passengers are tourists while 60 percent are common commuters mostly from business enterprises in the towns of Mariveles and Limay and some from other towns.
“Actually, maraming nalulungkot dahil isa ‘yan sa magandang means of transportation lalo na kapag lumuluwas at mabilis. Medyo nakakalungkot (Actually, there are many who are getting sad because it is one of the best means of transportation especially when traveling and it is fast. It’s a bit sad),” Orion Mayor Antonio Raymundo Jr. said when asked of the effect of the temporary stoppage of the ferry service.
Fare per person one way in the ferry boat is PHP299 for the "sulit" (good deal) economy class and PHP600 for premium economy class while fare in passenger buses is PHP200.
Travel time by ferry boat is 40 to 50 minutes only while it takes more than three hours by land transportation.
The mayor said they are continuously monitoring residents arriving from countries affected by Covid-19 to prevent the entry of the deadly virus in their town.
“Naka-ready ang ating mga barangay officials. May instruction ako na lahat ng darating mula sa ibang bansa na apektado ng Covid-19 ay mamonitor at mag-self quarantine (Our barangay officials are ready. I have an instruction that all those arriving from other countries affected by Covid-19 must be monitored and do self-quarantine),” he said.
“Nag-designate kami ng holding area kung may PUI (patient under investigation) at PUM (person under monitoring) alinsunod sa protocol ng DOH. Nakalatag lahat ang ating mga prosesong gagawin at nakahanda tayo (We designated holding area for PUI and PUM in accordance with the protocol of the DOH. All our processes to be done have already been laid out and we are ready),” Raymundo added. (PNA)
