The Department of Tourism (DOT) is for the safe reopening of tourist destinations as this allows us to restart our economy and help our tourism workers regain their jobs. The Department therefore welcomes the approval of uniform travel protocols for all local government units (LGUs) by the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) to facilitate travel movement and promote local tourism.
The DOT deems the simplification of requirements as vital in
encouraging domestic travel and helping in the speedy recovery of Philippine
tourism.
The DOT also defers to the decision of LGUs to require tests
before travel. For those requiring RT-PCR tests, the subsidized program in
partnership with the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital
(UP-PGH) and the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC) will help reduce
costs and encourage travel.
DOT reminds tourists and stakeholders of the
need to still strictly ensure minimum health and safety protocols such as
wearing of a mask and face shield, physical distancing, hand sanitizing, and
booking or operating in DOT-accredited establishments, among others to protect
both the tourists, tourism workers and the residents of host communities.
Relatedly, the DOT will continue to develop minimum health
and safety guidelines for the tourism sub-sectors to prepare LGUs in the safe
reopening of their destinations.
