Travelers to and from Bacolod City and Negros Occidental are now required to register in the Safe, Swift and Smart Passage (S-PaSS) Travel Management System, a one-stop online communication and coordination platform for travelers and local government units (LGUs).
Dr. Edwin Miraflor Jr., officer-in-charge of the City Health Office here, said on Sunday that Bacolod is already implementing the use of S-PaSS, and will stop the online issuance of medical certificates for travel after April 15.
According to the Bacolod City Emergency Operations Center Task Force, the non-issuance of medical certificates for travel will allow the CHO personnel to instead tend to direct medical care visits and focus on the city’s coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccination program.
Under the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) Resolution 101 eliminating the Covid Shield, the CHO will no longer issue medical certificates for travel purposes, it added.
In Negros Occidental, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson issued Executive Order 21-23, requiring the mandatory registration of all travelers to the S-PaSS effective April 9.
“Pursuant to IATF-EID Resolution 101, the Province of Negros Occidental shall hereby utilize the S-PaSS Travel Management System for travelers, and utilize Staysafe.ph as the official social distancing, health condition reporting, and contact application system of the province,” the directive said.
Inbound travelers should secure an electronic or printed copy of the approved travel coordination permit issued by the S-PaSS, it added.
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said the S-PaSS is a platform where travelers could access the LGUs’ policies and submit the required documents.
Some LGUs previously required travelers to secure a travel authority, but now through the platform, travelers may apply for a travel coordination permit as well as a travel pass-through permit.
Through the S-PaSS, LGUs could verify the authenticity of travel documents presented by travelers, and they can effectively monitor and manage incoming travelers, the DOST said. (PNA)
