BY ADRIAN P. NEMES III
Fast craft operators are pushing for swabbing upon arrival of all passengers from Panay going to Bacolod City, instead of a negative RT-PCR result taken 72 hours before travel.
Executive officer Frank Carbon of the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who is also a fast craft operator, said they wrote a letter to Mayor Evelio Leonardia Tuesday about their appeal and have yet to receive a reply.
Carbon said that, in Iloilo, swab tests are conducted upon arrival of the passengers, that he said is more convenient and not costly, adding that it will help avoid the proliferation of fake Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction test results.
He said most fast craft operators decided to stop operations because many passengers opted not to travel to Bacolod from Panay anymore due to restrictions implemented by the city.
Carbon added that because of the temporary stoppage of fast craft operations, many employees and porters have lost their sources of income.*
