Western Visayas will implement a uniform protocol requiring all travelers, except for Authorized Persons Outside of Residence (APORs), to have a negative result of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test taken 72 hours before their travel.

Interior and Local Government regional director for Western Visayas Juan Jovian Ingeniero, also the chairperson of the regional inter-agency task force (RIATF), said on Monday the request to include APORs in the requirement will be elevated to the national IATF.

He added that the request is only for 14 days to monitor the situation in the National Capital Region (NCR).

Returning overseas Filipinos are already required to have an RT-PCR and a 14-day mandatory quarantine upon arrival.

“Meantime, we agreed the LGUs (local government units) in Region 6 (Western Visayas) will implement their resolutions (Executive Order), since (Resolution) 101 gave them the power to require RT-PCRs for travelers, except APORs. So all returning residents will have RT-PCR. We will wait for their amended EO,” he said in an interview after a meeting on Monday afternoon.

The virtual meeting was initiated by Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas aimed to come up with a measure amid the increasing cases in Metro Manila and Region 7 (Central Visayas), Ingeniero said.

Among those who joined were Governors Arthur Defensor Jr. of Iloilo, Eugenio Jose Lacson of Negros Occidental, and Samuel Gumarin of Guimaras; Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia, and representatives of other provinces in the region and the Department of Health (DOH), he added.

The DOH has been requested to monitor the situation in other regions, he said.

“Mayor Jerry will again call for a meeting on Friday to know the situation in NCR. We will invite higher officials to discuss this,” he said.

Ingeniero added that they will wait for their executive orders regarding the uniform guidelines for the RIATF to advise other regions about the requirement.

For now, the uniform travel protocol is not yet in effect. (PNA)