Re-opened Travel Destinations in the Philippines

Philippines has lifted the travel restrictions on the 36 countries, but is still limiting tourists in the country. However, there are some reopened travel destinations for local tourists.

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