So...There are Flights, But the Tourist Spots are Still Closed

While travel for tourism purposes is allowed between places that are under modified general community quarantine or MGCQ, tourist destinations in the country are still "hesitant to resume tourism activities," according to Department of Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat in a report by the Philippine News Agency.

"Right now, there is no province that is ready to accept tourists. Even GCQ to GCQ, a lot of provinces are hesitant to accept commercial flights," Romulo-Puyat said. Mentioned in the same report are Bohol and Baguio, both of which have postponed leisure activities by July and September 2020, respectively, to prepare for tourist arrivals.

This gives the Department of Tourism time to process the certificates for hotels and to coordinate with the local government units to ensure readiness to accept tourists. 

In a Facebook post on June 3, Romulo-Puyat reminded accommodation establishments under MGCQ to secure a DOT Certificate of Authority to Operate before resuming commercial operations. This includes not just accommodation of guests but also in-house food facilities for take–out or delivery. Non-DOT-accredited establishments will need to apply for both DOT accreditation and the Certificate of Authority.

Accommodation establishments without the DOT accredition and Certificate of Authority to Operate will be subject to penalties under applicable laws, rules, and regulations.