The Negros Oriental Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has unanimously set a fixed schedule for sea trips to the province to control the influx of returning residents and other individuals.

Resolution No. 30, dated June 22, 2020, signed by Gov. Roel Degamo and released Friday, said the setting of fixed schedules of inter-island vessels from various points of origins to the different entry points in the province aims to address several issues and concerns raised during recent IATF meetings.

For one, the lack of coordination or even uncoordinated arrival of locally-stranded individuals (LSIs), returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs), and authorized persons outside of residence (APOR) “has resulted to very complicated response actions by the receiving LGUs (local government units)”, thus affecting their financial and manpower resources, the resolution said.

It also noted that the “untimely arrival and uncoordinated” movements of these returning individuals, some of them with questionable documents, have led to the physical and mental fatigue of people in the frontlines, such that their safety is compromised.

Furthermore, the daily and sudden arrival at times during unholy hours without prior notice or coordination, has left the LGUs in a dilemma “in the preparation of their respective quarantine facilities that are operating in full to over-flowing capacities, notwithstanding their budget limitations”.

Having a system in place to harmonize the arrival of the LSIs, ROFs, and APORs would give the LGUs enough lead time to prepare and respond to the needs of these individuals, thus a set schedule for sea travel is deemed necessary, the IATF here said.

With the recent spike in the number of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases in Cebu City and Talisay City, travel to and from these areas are now temporarily suspended.

The resolution also requires shipping lines to provide the IATF with an advanced copy of the passenger manifest containing detailed information of the returning individuals to give time for the LGUs to prepare and for “efficient management of their arrival”.

The schedule for these trips for the different shipping lines is as follows:

From Cebu to Tampi port, Negros Oriental via Maayo Shipping: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, departures at 6 a.m., 1 p.m. and 9 p.m.;

Cebu to Dumaguete port via Cokaliong Shipping Lines every Tuesday at 3:30 p.m;

Siquijor to Dumaguete port via Montenegro Shipping Lines: two trips every Monday, 11:45 a.m. and 6 p.m.; and via Aleson Shipping, two trips every Thursday, 7:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.;

Dapitan to Dumaguete port via Fast Cat: every Monday at 1 p.m.; via Cokaliong, every Tuesday at 8:30 p.m.; via Aleson, every Thursday at 5 a.m.; and via Montenegro, every Saturday at 6 p.m.;

Dipolog to Dumaguete port via Medallion Transport is every Wednesday at 3 p.m.;

Cagayan de Oro to Dumaguete port via Lite Ferry is every Tuesday and Saturday at 8:30 p.m.;

Zamboanga to Dumaguete port via 2GO is once a week and movable; and,

Manila to Dumaguete port via 2GO is once a week and movable. (PNA)