By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Even though the provincial government of Negros Oriental had already allowed the resumption of bus trips between Dumaguete City and Bacolod City, Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said he will release a new executive order anytime this week reopening the province’s border with Negros Oriental.

In an interview with Lacson yesterday morning, he said talks between Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz and representatives from the Vallacar Transit Incorporated (VTI) are still ongoing.

“I think what is important is that we must have the same protocol with Negros Oriental considering that we are now in the same alert level,” Lacson said.

He said as long as they have come into an agreement already with Negros Oriental and VTI then they are ready to reopen the borders between the two provinces.

At present, Negros Occidental still has a different set of requirements such as registration via the S-PaSS system still required, whereas Negros Oriental no longer requires the S-PaSS system.

However, both provinces are requiring valid vaccination cards for fully-vaccinated individuals and a negative RT-PCR test result for unvaccinated or those who have yet to complete their required vaccine doses.

“For practical purposes it has to be the same protocols for both ends,” Lacson said.

The governor is also adamant about a point-to-point system of transport between the two provinces so as to make it easier to manage the entry and exit of passengers.

“We would like to settle this issue as soon as possible,” he added.

On Tuesday, November 16, the provincial government of Negros Oriental has allowed the resumption of bus trips to Negros Occidental after the province was downgraded to the less restrictive Alert Level 2 status.

Bimbo Miraflor, spokesperson for the Negros Oriental Capitol, said Governor Roel Degamo has signed Executive Order No. 44 adopting the guidelines of the National Inter-Agency Task Force./DGB, WDJ