NOW OPEN: Boracay Island Welcomes Leisure Travelers from GCQ and MGCQ areas
Boracay island is now open for tourists coming from general community quarantine (GCQ) and modified GCQ areas.
The decision was made following the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) under its Resolution No. 118A.
Under the resolution, the Task Force allowed leisure travelers to and from NCR Plus and MGCQ areas to visit tourist destinations, provided they are qualified. The resolution takes effect from June 1 to 15, 2021.
Boracay Island/IMAGE from Department of Tourism’s Instagram account
In a phone interview courtesy of the Philippine News Agency, Malay Tourism Office head Felix Gregorio Delos Santos reiterated that tourists from Metro Manila (National Capital Region), Cavite, Bulacan, Rizal, and Laguna) are already allowed to enter since these areas are under GCQ.
However, he reminded all domestic tourists to follow the same protocol and comply with Malay’s S-PaSS (Safe, Swift, and Smart Passage) online travel management tool.
Also read: DOT: Leisure Travelers From NCR plus Can Now Visit MGCQ Areas
“Still we require the negative RT-PCR, booking in DOT-accredited hotel establishments, QR code, valid ID, itinerary, and flight details,” said Delos Santos.
Travelers can also have the test of their choice as long as it is taken 72 hours. Children below 2 years old are exempted. All documents will be subject to validation under the provincial government of Aklan.
Also read: ICYMI: Qualified Leisure Travelers Can Now Avail 50% RT-PCR Test Subsidy
Delos Santos is also looking to gain more tourists visiting Boracay since local visitors from Western Visayas aren’t enough to sustain the business on the island.
According to him, there were only roughly 1700 tourists who visited the island. In which, the highest arrival in a day was 161 and the lowest was 11.
Source: Philippine News Agency
Written by Cedie Salido
