MANILA, PHILIPPINES — In the Philippines, the Department of Tourism (DOT) welcomed the “gradual re-opening of tourism operations” as quarantine levels across the country lighten.
“It’s important for the tourism sector to open as soon as possible, albeit slowly, gradually and cautiously, so that those who lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic will be able to work and earn again,” said Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat.
Travel for the purpose of tourism is only allowed in areas under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), and still subject to restrictions imposed by the local government. Only essential non-leisure travel between General Community Quarantine (GCQ) to MGCQ areas or vice-versa is allowed.
As such, the tourist destinations that will re-open are still subject to the approval of their local government officials and must adhere to the health and safety guidelines issued by the Inter-agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).
Meanwhile, only tourism establishments that are accredited and issued a Certificate of Authority to Operate by the DOT are allowed to open during MGCQ.
Puyat urged tourism stakeholders to closely coordinate with their respective local government units to ensure a seamless transition, adherence to national and local protocols, and assess the actual readiness of their areas to support the resumption of tourism activities.
