Those looking to travel locally after a months-long quarantine can head out again as popular tourist spots have slowly reopened in order to revive the country’s tourism industry even as the pandemic rages on.
The Department of Tourism has a detailed list of which spots are open to visitors at this time, along with safety measures wanderlust-stricken travelers must keep in mind before booking that vacation. All of that information is available in an easy to navigate website.
Tourists planning to visit domestic destinations must first test negative for COVID-19 with a swab test before their scheduled travel. Health declaration forms, wearing of face masks and face shields, thermal scans, and social distancing are also mandatory in all tourist destinations to prevent the spread of the virus. Cashless and digital transactions are also preferred.
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Hotel rooms, lodging facilities, and popular tourist spots are allowed to accept guests, but must run on limited capacity to make room for social distancing. This means fewer people in rooms and during breakfast runs.
Do keep in mind that each region or tourist destination has a different set of requirements and guidelines, as each local government unit decides on these matters depending on the situation in their area of jurisdiction. How Boracay operates will be different from how Baguio runs things.
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Missed seeing local sights? These areas have opened up to tourists from other regions:
CAR
- Baguio City - open to Region 1 tourists only
Region I
- Ilocos Norte - open to all residents from Luzon
- La Union - open to Region 1 residents only
- Pangasinan - open to tourists from MGCQ areas or Region 1 only
Region III
- Bataan - select establishments open to all tourists
- Clark Freeport Zone - open to all tourists
- Pampanga - select areas open to all tourists
- SUBIC Bay Freeport Zone - open to all tourists
- Tarlac - select areas open to all tourists
Region IV-A
- Batangas - select areas open to all tourists
- Cavite - open to all tourists
- Laguna - open to all tourists
- Rizal - open to all tourists
Region VI
Aklan
- Boracay open to GCQ and MGCQ residents
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Region XI
- Davao Oriental - select areas open to all tourists
An expanded list of requirements, guidelines, and rules can be found on the Department of Tourism’s website.
