The provincial government of Negros Occidental is considering one flight a day, from Bacolod to Manila and vice versa, for the three airline companies effective next week.
The managements of Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific Air, and Air Asia requested the provincial Inter-Agency Task Force to allow the daily flights.
At present, the province allows a twice-a-week cargo flights and one trip each week for the three airline companies at the Bacolod-Silay Airport.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer, and Provincial Administrator, Atty. Rayfrando Diaz, held a meeting yesterday morning with representatives of the Cebu Pacific Air to discuss the request.
Diaz said that Lacson will come up with an executive order regarding the additional flights that will start on November 15 until the end of the month.
The province will require each traveller to present an S-PaSS and vaccination card, Diaz said, adding that the S-PaSS would be approved by the Capitol instead of the destination LGU.
The province will just inform the concerned LGUs, based on the flight manifest, to shorten the processing time in getting the S-PaSS which has been the subject of complaints of some passengers.
If a passenger is not fully vaccinated, he or she is required to present an RT-PCR negative result before being allowed to board the plane. Those who will be caught violating the policy or falsifying travel documents will be sanctioned, through the Provincial Legal Office, and will be quarantined for seven days, Diaz said.
He added that the travel documents of all passengers coming in, even if the destination LGU is Bacolod City, will be subject to screening upon arrival since the airport in Silay is under the jurisdiction of the province.
Diaz said the plan to allow one flight per day for every airline will reduce the airfare to P3,750 one way, from the current P7,000 to P9,000. This is in response to the appeal of passengers and other sectors, with the number of travellers expected to increase this holiday season. – MML
