In this February 2020 photo of Boracay, the island shows a cleaner environment following the massive cleanup initiated by the joint government agencies led by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. FILE PHOTO / Jigger Latoza
MANILA, Philippines — Boracay Island will now accept visitors from all over the country starting this October, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said Wednesday.
“Boracay Island will further open its doors to more local tourists on October 1, and signals the continued resurgence of domestic tourism nationwide,” DOT said in a statement.
“This development came as a result of a special meeting convened by the principals of the Boracay Interagency Task Force (BIATF) led by its Chairperson Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu and Co-Vice Chairpersons Interior and Local Government Secretary Ed Ano and Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat with Province of Aklan Governor Joeben Miraflores on 22 September,” the tourism department added.
In the same statement, Puyat said they will implement a “Test Before Travel” rule, which requires all visitors to have a negative result of reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) 48 to 72 hours prior to traveling to Boracay Island.
Puyat added that the travelers are also mandated to undergo “strict quarantine immediately after a test and until the time of travel to the island.”
The “Test Before Travel” regulation will also permit tourists from areas under general community quarantine status to visit the island, Puyat said.
Also, the DOT said travelers aged below 21 and above 60 years old are allowed to visit Boracay as long as they have no comorbidity or worse health conditions.
Last June 16, Boracay Island reopened but only for residents in Western Visayas.
Data from DOT showed that the department allowed 199 hotels and resorts to operate in Boracay since the island was reopened last June.