Bichara orders strict border control
LEGAZPI CITY: Albay Gov. Al Francis Bichara has ordered for a strict border control in the boundaries of Camarines Sur and in Sorsogon as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of Covid-19 in the province.
According to the executive order released on Monday by Bichara, the entry of persons including vehicles and all types of transportation to the province of Albay by land, air, and sea shall be regulated and should comply with the protocols issued by the Philippine Ports Authority, aviation management and land terminals.
The order was implemented on Wednesday at the Albay-Camarines Sur border (Polangui), Tiwi-Camarines Sur border (Tiwi-Sangay Coastal Road), Libon-Camarines Sur border, Tabon-Tabon-Sorsogon border and Pioduran-Masbate border.
The border control, according to the government, shall be set up and manned by uniformed personnel of the Philippine National Police in coordination with the provincial government of Albay.
The directive, however, will be easy to those carrying and transporting basic and essential goods to the province.
As to the entry of travelers in Albay, only fully vaccinated individuals shall be allowed entry in the province. They are required to present any valid identification card and Covid-19 vaccination and booster cards from the Department of Health (DoH) at the border checkpoint.
Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated persons may also be allowed to come to Albay provided they present any identification card and a negative antigen or reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test result from any of the DoH accredited facilities issued within 48 hours from the time the specimen was taken upon entering the borders of the province.
Bichara said that local government units (LGUs) should designate specific drop-off points of buses, vehicles, cars, and other modes of land transportation coming from Metro Manila, and monitor that the same is compliant with the rules of entry of individuals within the province pursuant to the order and should be manned by the designated personnel of each LGU.
As to the prohibition for unvaccinated individuals, Bichara followed through President Rodrigo Duterte’s directives, as embodied in the Department of the Interior and Local Government press statement dated Jan. 8, 2022, restricting not fully vaccinated individuals from going out, except to procure essential goods and services such as food, water, medicine or medical devices, public utilities, work, and medical and dental visits.
Vaccinated individuals must bring vaccination cards at all times to be presented to village officials and police officers upon request.
Unvaccinated individuals are banned from indoor and al fresco dining, hotels, country clubs, leisure trips, and similar establishments and public transportation.
Unvaccinated individuals going to work must present a negative RT-PCR test result every two weeks or will not be allowed to go to work.
All local chief executives may also come up with respective guidelines and protocols.
Meanwhile, cockfighting is still prohibited under the existing Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases rules.