The Philippines is an island state of 7,641 islands. Being one of the most sought for travel destinations, its domestic tourism industry was greatly affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. As an archipelago, quarantine measures had to take place to inhibit the spread of the virus to rural areas and islands at which health care infrastructure is underdeveloped.
With the negative-testing requirement and the vaccine being available soon, domestic tourism in the Philippines is now re-opening following several restrictions. The national government and the local government units (LGUs) are confident of the country’s health and safety protocols. Under the test-before-travel policy – all you need is a negative test result in order to visit tourist spots.
Palawan
Not all cities in Palawan have re-opened but the municipalities of El Nido and Coron, where the famous white-sand beaches are, already have since October 30 and December 1.
Requirements:
El Nido
-Pre-arranged hotel/resort reservation at any establishment with a Certificate of Authority to Operate (CAO) issued by the Department of Tourism (DOT)
-Travel itinerary under a DOT-accredited travel agency/tour operator
-QR coded tourist ID (QT-ID) from the official website
-Valid ID; For minors, IDs of guardians is needed
-For tourists coming from outside Palawan, a negative RT-PCR swab test taken 48 hours prior to arrival in El Nido.
Remember:
-Only direct flights to El Nido are allowed for Tourists. As of now, only domestic carrier Airswift flies to Lio Airport in El Nido
-Tourists shall save a digital copy or printed copy of the issued QT-ID this will serve as clearance at entry points of establishments.
-Leisure travel is open to all ages without underlying conditions and comorbidities.
Coron
-QR code of an approved online Health Declaration Card (HDC) from the Coron Tourism website
-Pre-arranged hotel/resort reservation, at any of the 10 establishments with a CAO
-Round-trip ticket
-Travel itinerary
-Negative (RT-PCR) result within 72 hours before arrival
-Negative result of the health assessment at the airport. Antigen testing costing P3,500 is required if the person doesn’t pass the health assessment
Remember:
-Only ages 18-65 are allowed
-Most business establishments are open only until 10 p.m.
Bohol
Bohol re-opened for tourist last December 15 but restrictions under the province’s Ultimate Bohol Experience program (UBE) are to be followed.
Requirements:
-Pre-register to Bohol website, confirmation of registration will be sent via email
-Pre-arranged hotel/resort reservation at any of the 24 establishments with a CAO or the 130 with provisional CAO
-Negative RT-PCR result taken within 72 hours upon arrival
Remember:
-Tourist from GCQ areas such as National Capital Region (NCR) are allowed.
-Book flights to Bohol-Panglao International Airport (BPIA) for leisurue travelers
-Walk-in tourists are strictly not allowed.
-Any detours, and stop-overs not included in the itinerary are also not allowed.
Boracay
The Boracay Islands have already been re-opened for tourists since October 31. Boracay is home to the most popular white-sand beaches in the world.
Requirements:
-Pre-arranged hotel/resort reservation at any of the establishments with a CAO/PCAO provided by DOT VI Western Visayas
-Downloaded “Aklan Guide” mobile app
-Screenshot/printed copy of the confirmation page of an online HDC from the Aklan-Boracay website, under the Boracay link.
-Negative RT-PCR result taken within 48 hours of travel from accredited laboratories.
-Copies of HDC confirmation, Negative RT-PCR result, Roundtrip Ticket, and Valid ID should be emailed to touristboracay@gmail.com at least 12 hours prior to your trip. The email subject should be “OHDC-FamilyName, FirstName”. QR code will be sent through email, if approved.
Remember:
-No age restrictions
-Only tourists from General Community Quarantine (GCQ), and Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) are allowed.
-Book flights to Boracay Airport or Caticlan Airport, for Boracay-bound leisure travelers
-Tourist QR code is valid only 12 hours after checkout time.
Siargao
Siargao, the surfing capital of the Philippines, has re-opened for local tourists since November 23, and for flights since December 01.
Requirements:
-Advance Submission of Boarding Requirements through Email: sdntourism@gmail.com. Scanned or picture copies of the below requirements.
-Negative RT-PCR result taken within 48 hours before travel
-Valid Identification Card
-E-health pass generated from the website
-At least a five-day confirmed pre-arranged hotel/resort reservation at any establishments with a CAO or PCAO
-Travel itinerary
-Round-trip ticket
Remember:
-Only flights from Sayak Airport and entries from Surigao City are allowed.
-Enforced curfew is between 11:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m.
-Quarantine upon arrival is no longer required
Ilocos Sur
Ilocos Sur re-opened for tourists coming from Luzon since November 21.
Requirements:
-Pre-arranged hotel/resort reservation at any establishments with a CAO
-Negative RT-PCR result taken within 48 hours before travel
-SafePass QR Code generated from the website or visit SafePass Portal on Facebook
-Travel itinerary from a DOT-accredited travel agency/tour operator
-Valid government ID is required
-Negative antigen testing upon arrival, valid for three days
Remember:
-Maximum of 50 visitors per day
-Tourists are only allowed in DOT-accredited stopovers
-Only ages 21-59 are allowed.
-Pregnant women are not allowed.
-Flights are from Manila to Laoag City, then the rest is by bus
Masungi Georeserve
The famous eco-tourism destination, Masungi Georeserve, in the province of Rizal has reopened since November 25.
Requirements:
-Reserved slots in the website, www.masungigeoreserve.com/trailvisitrequest.
-The following are to be submitted online at least 3 days prior:
-Health Declaration Form (HDF)
-Conservation Agreement
-COVID-19 agreement
Remember:
-Maximum of 50 visitors per day, 5-8 persons per group, to arrive 30 minutes ahead of schedule.
-Walk-ins are strictly not allowed.
-Only ages 21-59 are allowed.
-One-meter distance will be observed during hiking.
-Only tourists from GCQ and MGCQ areas are allowed
