- CHERYL G. CRUZ
Drivers, vendors, and others doing business in public markets, buildings, and facilities owned by the Cadiz City government and its barangays are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Cadiz Mayor Salvador Escalante Jr. signed Executive Order SGE-01-2022 dated Jan. 3, requiring all eligible tricycle-for-hire and jeepney for-hire drivers/operators, stall awardees, lessees and their employees, or agents doing business in public markets and government buildings and facilities to be fully vaccinated, and providing requirements for those opting not to be vaccinated.
Those who decide to remain unvaccinated against COVID are required to submit a negative RT-PCR result every week at their own expense, the EO stressed, “Unless they are declared ineligible for vaccination by the City Health Officer of Cadiz City, or by the Provincial Health Officer of Negros Occidental, through a certification.”
For passenger buses with franchises issued by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, the negative swab test result shall be submitted to the chief of police (CoP) of Cadiz City.
Non-submission shall authorize the CoP to prevent the entry into Cadiz City of such passenger buses driven by the unvaccinated person until the negative test result is submitted.
“Whenever required by lawful authorities within the territorial jurisdiction of Cadiz, drivers must present their vaccination card for confirmation and validation, and may be photographed by the officer or his deputies for the purpose,” Escalante said.
For tricycles-for-hire and jeepneys-for-hire, the negative RT-PCR result shall be submitted to the Cadiz City Franchise and Regulatory Board. Non-submission shall authorize the CCFRB to suspend the franchise of the public utility vehicle and prevent its operation until a negative test result is submitted.
The use of any falsified vaccination card shall be prosecuted in accordance with the Revised Penal Code and other applicable laws. In the event of renewal of the franchise and business permits, the applications shall be suspended until the negative RT-PCR result is submitted during the process of application for renewal and every week thereafter, or after submission of proof of COVID-19 vaccination.
Escalante said that to ensure the health and safety of all persons who go to city-owned and barangay-owned markets, commercial establishments and facilities, all awardees of market or commercial stalls, lessees of commercial establishments owned by the city or the barangay, including their employees and agents working on-site, are also required to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Those who decide not to be vaccinated shall be required to submit a negative RT-PCR test result on a weekly basis, at their own expense, to the city health officer, the market supervisor for market stalls, and the Business Permits and Licensing Office, for monitoring and validation.
In the event of renewal of their lease contract, business permit, and peddler permit, their applications shall be suspended until the negative RT-PCR result is submitted during the application, and every week thereafter, the EO added. | CGC
