The facade of Bacolod City Government Center (PNA Bacolod file photo)
BACOLOD CITY – Mayor Evelio Leonardia has asked the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to step in the conflicting policies of the city government and the Negros Occidental provincial government regarding the Safe, Swift, and Smart Passage (S-PaSS) travel coordination permit.
Leonardia said on Wednesday he sent a letter to DILG-Western Visayas regional director Juan Jovian Ingeniero, requesting help to resolve the issue after the province continued to require an S-PaSS from Bacolod-bound passengers arriving at the Bacolod-Silay Airport in Silay City.
This is contrary to Executive Order 53 that he issued removing such requirement after the city was placed under Alert Level 2 from November 15 to 30.
“This difference in the travel documentation requirements has spawned confusion among the constituent-travelers of Bacolod City, and especially within the airlines…We believe that should the province of Negros Occidental impose its own travel restrictions, the same should only apply to its own constituents,” the mayor told Ingeniero in a letter dated Nov. 22.
In the letter, a copy of which he furnished to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, Leonardia said as a highly-urbanized city, Bacolod does not belong to the political jurisdiction of the provincial government and is, therefore, independent and not covered by Capitol’s policies.
He said Ingeniero has assured the city government that he will immediately attend to the issue.
Meanwhile, Em Legaspi-Ang, executive director of Bacolod City Emergency Operations Center-Task Force, questioned the memorandum issued by flag carrier Philippine Airlines directed at passengers going to Bacolod, who were advised to fill out the S-PaSS with “Barangay Airport, Silay City” as their address to comply with the Capitol directive.
“It is tantamount to instructing inbound travelers to lie by supplying fake or false information on an official government platform,” she added.
Under EO 53, fully-vaccinated travelers to Bacolod are only required to present their vaccination cards.
Ang said Leonardia also wrote the PAL management regarding the issue and provided them copies of EO 53. (PNA)
