PREPARATIONS. Safe physical distancing markers are in place at the Iloilo International Airport in Cabatuan town, Iloilo. Art Pareño, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines-Iloilo terminal supervisor, said on Wednesday (June 3, 2020) that it awaits the decision of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to resume its operations. (Photo courtesy of Manuela Luisa Palma)
ILOILO CITY – The Iloilo International Airport in Cabatuan town awaits the decision of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to resume its operations, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said on Wednesday.
Art Pareño, CAAP-Iloilo terminal supervisor, said the airport will remain close until June 10, unless the order will earlier be revoked by higher authorities.
“There are no commercial flights up to now. It is still to be resolved by the IATF,” he told the Philippine News Agency (PNA).
The Iloilo airport has already set up safe physical distancing markers and has designated handwashing and decontamination areas as part of the preparations for the opening, he added.
Meanwhile, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., the chief implementer of the National Action Plan on coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), has confirmed that eight airports in the country will start their operations within the week.
In a meeting with the Western Visayas Regional Task Force here on Tuesday, Galvez said the interzonal movement is allowed under modified general community quarantine, as stated in the Omnibus guidelines.
The CAAP and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) has consulted the local government units (LGUs) on opening the airports.
"The LGUs na nagsabing pwede (The LGUs allowed (opening the airports) are Romblon, Legazpi, Naga, NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport), Clark, Cauyan, Palanan and Marinduque," he said.
“Just in case na mayroon na may bookings, pwede na po (Just in case there will be (flight) bookings, it will be allowed),” he added.
He also said negotiations are ongoing in the LGUs of Dipolog, Pagadian, Laguindingan, Ozamis, Camiguin, and General Santos City.
"The negotiations are ongoing because as we said, there will be strict implementation of protocols. There will be a one-stop shop where swabbing and testing will be done at the airport," he said in Pilipino.
Galvez said other local government units that want to ensure the prevention of virus importation still have to observe the situation before opening their gateways in mid-June.
Galvez noted that allowing interzonal movement will be of help to the economy as it opens trading to Manila and other regions in the country.
But allowing of airport operations does not mean allowing free movement of people, he said.
"May health restrictions. Need may certificate sa travel, as much as possible makapag-test na (There are health restrictions. There is a need for a certificate to travel and as much as possible, testing has been done)," he said. (PNA)
