Airline companies has requsted Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson to allow more flights for Manila and Cebu for the yuletide season.
Zeaphard Gerhart Caelian, commander of the Provincial Incidents Management Team, said the governor earlier granted the request for the resumption of commercial flights for the month of December except Dec. 24 and 25 and Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 next year.
At present, the three airline companies operating at Bacolod-Silay Airport have one flight per week for the Bacolod-Cebu route two flights each per week for the Bacolod-Manila route with a limit of 199 passengers per flight.
Because of the yuletide season, Caelian said he expects more Negrenses to come home.
Caelian admitted that the local transmission of the COVID-19 is a big problem and reminded returning Negrenses to comply with the requirements such as medical certificate and authority to travel.
Sweeper flights are strictly for Negros Occidental’s Locally Stranded Individuals (LSIs), and Authorized Persons Outside of Residence (APORs), Caelian said.
All LSIs will be quarantined until they get a negative result from their swab tests, he added.
From Dec. 1 to 8, Caelian reported that a total of 2, 443 LSIs retuned to Negros Occidental, as well as 628 ROFs.
Since March 30 to Dec. 8 this year, he also reported that 35,902 Returning Overseas Workers and LSIs returned to the province.
Of the 35,095 Negrenses, Caelian said 25,902 of them are LSIs from Manila and Cebu ands 9,193 ROFs and OFWs.
In the same period, he added that 3,136 migrant sugarcane workers from Aklan, Antique and Negros Oriental, also entered the province to work in various sugarfields. — GB
