Iloilo to require travel passes as border restriction looms anew

ILOILO CITY – From June 4 to June 12, travel passes will be required for inter-town travel in Iloilo province as border restriction looms anew to curb the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

“To address the developing COVID-19 surge, there is a need to enforce measures to significantly reduce people’s circulation to minimize, if not eliminate, further transmission,” said Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr.

This is after the number of active COVID-19 cases in Iloilo province ballooned to 1,382 as of May 31 with 45 new cases. The day prior or on May 30, there were 147 new COVID-19 cases.

Based on data from the Iloilo Provincial Health Office, cases grow by more than 41 percent over the last two weeks of May.

Defensor’s latest order also is done as COVID-19 cases significantly soared in Iloilo City, the regional capital of Western Visayas that is running out of hospital beds for COVID-19 patients.

In Executive Order 2021-175, Defensor is requiring the issuance of travel passes or travel orders for anyone who needs to travel in any of the 42 towns and component city of Passi.

This would include travel passes for authorized Persons Outside Residence (APORs) including government workers, medical workers, frontline workers, humanitarian workers, essential workers, returning locally stranded individuals (LSIs), overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), and drivers of public jeepneys or buses.

Defensor told Manila Bulletin that the Philippine National Police (PNP) will help local governments and barangay (village) officials in conducting checkpoints at the borders.

Meanwhile, Defensor reiterated the appeal to residents to stay home and minimize their movement.

“This is only for two weeks,” Defensor added.