The daily flights from Manila to the Bacolod–Silay Airport have been 90 to 100 percent full since they resumed operations Monday, Negros Occidental Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Thursday, November 18.
Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific have started flying one flight a day from Manila to Negros, and Air Asia will also start its daily flights in December if the province remains under COVID-19 Alert Level 2, he said.
Diaz said provincial government representatives went to the airport to ensure that arrival protocols and swift S-PaSS scanning systems are in place for the convenience of travelers.
Incoming passengers are required to register with the Safe, Swift and Smart Passage, an online travel management system, before travelling to the province. Those who have not been fully vaccinated are still required to present negative RT-PCR test results.
Diaz said swabbing of incoming passengers is no longer being done at the airport, provincial government personnel there have been reassigned to help in the vaccination campaign of the province.
During their inspection of the airport they learned that the escalators are not operating so the provincial government will assist in their repair, Diaz said.
“We want the airport to be presentable for arriving passengers,” he said.
Meanwhile, the plan for the resumption of Vallacar Transit Inc.’s bus operations between Negros Occidental and Oriental is being finalized, Diaz said.
“The cross-border is approved, but what we want are details…we are waiting for the final proposal so we will be organized,” he said.
Diaz said the provincial government needs to make sure that passengers from Negros Oriental entering Negros Occidental are fully vaccinated and if not, they must present negative RT-PCR test results.
“We still have to protect our public health. The virus is still there, more variants are coming out,” Diaz said.*