Police officers assigned at the Bohol Panglao International Airport (BPIA) are ready to secure and man foot traffic in the facility during the province’s so-called “fiesta season” in May which traditionally draws thousands of Boholanos from across the country and even abroad.
According to Major Melvin Bolic, chief of the Philippine National Police-Aviation Security Group (PNP-AvSeGroup) at the BPIA, they are prepared for the possible influx of passengers during the month-long observance of fiestas in towns and villages in the province.
However, Bolic noted that the number of passengers would be significantly less than the usual arrivals during the month of May before the pandemic broke out last year.
He said that the volume of arrivals would also depend on the local government units’ policies on the acceptance of returning residents.
“Nag prepare mi ana na scenario pero magdepende pa na sa LGU gihapon sa EO [executive order] na ipalabas sa pagdawat, sa ilang restrictions pud considering na naa pa man ta sa pandemic g’yud,” he said.
According to Bolic, most of the arrivals in the past few months have been returning residents.
Local tourists are also allowed to enter the province but their arrivals have been significantly low due to the persisting pandemic.
All persons arriving in Bohol are required to submit a negative result of a Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test taken within 72 hours prior to arrival.
Meanwhile, the 70 AvSeGoup personnel at the BPIA have been undergoing monthly RT-PCR testing starting December last year.
The regular testing is part of the AvSeGroup’s nationwide drive to keep its personnel who are working in the country’s gateways free from the virus or have them immediately isolated if infected.
Bolic said that following the recent round of testing, they found out that one of the BPIA’s cops tested positive for the disease.
The police officer has been placed in isolation in Candijay.
Meanwhile, contacts of the COVID-stricken cop were directed to undergo quarantine. (R. Tutas)