All passengers arriving at the Bacolod Silay Airport, regardless of vaccination status, will be required to present negative rapid antigen test (RAT) results instead of the more expensive reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) starting February 1.
This was agreed on in a virtual meeting between Negros Occidental and Bacolod officials led by Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and Mayor Evelio Leonardia Friday afternoon.
Leonardia thanked Lacson for hearing out and acting favorably on Bacolod’s request to lift the negative RT-PCR requirement for inbound travelers and for them to instead present a negative RAT taken and certified only by an accredited Department of Health clinic or laboratory within 48 hours prior to their flight schedule for Bacolod.
Lacson said he wanted to be assured that the RAT results are done and certified by a DOH-accredited lab because anyone can make a self-test once they have the kit.
Bacolod said it will require travelers to the city to submit their RAT tests before arrival in the city, Lacson said.
The governor said “for the province, you can get a test in Manila or we can do the RAT upon arrival. The province will provide this service for free to incoming Negros Occidental residents and we’re also offering that to Bacolod residents”.
It’s the choice of the traveler when he or she applies for an S-PaSS, Lacson said.
“There was no intention on the part of Bacolod to do away with any test, they were just asking if we can allow the RAT based on the demands of residents because they have found it difficult to get RT-PCR test results on time, causing their travel schedules to be postponed,” he said.
La Carlota City Mayor Rex Jalandoon, a doctor, assured those in attendance that a RAT result has a very high accuracy rate and is reliable as an alternative to the RT-PCR.
Lacson said that when there is any doubt as to the authenticity of the RAT result presented by Bacolod passengers, the provincial government is willing to conduct a new test at the airport, Leonardia said.
Joining Lacson and Leonardia in the virtual meeting via Zoom were Negros Occidental mayors, and members of the Provincial Incident Management Team under Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz and Bacolod’s Emergency Operations Center led by Executive Director Em Legaspi-Ang.
The RAT will be required for February but it seems the national government has relaxed its protocols on foreign travelers, Lacson said.
“So if they do that I suspect that they will also relax the travel protocols within the country, there might be a directive to that effect,” he added.
Presidential spokesman Karlo Nograles announced on Friday that fully vaccinated arriving international passengers will be required to present negative RT-PCR test taken within 48 hours prior to departure from country of origin.
Upon arrival they will no longer be required to observe mandatory facility-based quarantine, he said.
The will instead self-monitor for any signs and symptoms of COVID-19 for seven days from arrival and report to any local government unit of destination upon the manifestation of symptoms, if any, Nograles said.
Meanwhile, the Negros Occidental provincial government did not make any commitment on the proposal of Bacolod City to gain access to the Provincial One Hospital Command System but Bacolod residents can call its 911 hotline, Lacson said.
This is because provincial government hospitals, including the Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City, have limited capacities because many of their health care workers have been hit with COVID-19, Lacson said.*