Passengers wait to board their assigned vessels at the passenger terminal of Pier 1 in Cebu City in this Nov. 2, 2019 photo. | CDND File Photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City will now allow passenger vessels to dock at its port area provided that its passengers and crew members follow health and safety protocols implemented in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ).
However, passenger ships will only be allowed to carry 50 percent of its allowed capacity.
In his Executive Order No. 86, Mayor Edgardo Labella said that ships must establish an online booking system for the issuance of tickets to avoid travelers from crowding their ticketing offices.
This reduces the risk of contact and prevents the further spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the mayor said.
Labella’s EO which he signed on Friday, July 31, also requires the implementation of social distancing while ships must have designated isolation areas for individuals who are suspected of the infection.
It also requires the assignment of a health officer to monitor the condition of all of its passengers and crew members during the duration of the voyage while mass gatherings are strictly prohibited onboard.
Vessels are also required to identify a sanitation area for disinfection while footbaths are to be placed in common public areas.
But Labella clarified that the regulation on passenger vessels do not apply on cargo ships.
Councilor Joel Garganera, the Emergency Operations czar, said they expect an influx of inbound and outbound passengers starting today, August 1, 2020, with the announcement on the resumption of LSI travel.
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Garganera said he is expecting an “exodus” of over 18,000 LSIs who want to already leave the city to go home to their provinces as well as the arrival of 11,000 returning LSIs who come from other parts of Central Visayas and the rest of the country.
LSIs, he said, are encouraged to complete all their documentary requirements before booking a boat ticket to avoid delays when they arrive at the ports of Cebu City. / dcb
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