Philippine National Police Officer-in-Charge Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar
MANILA, Philippines — Tourism and staycation activities within the NCR-Rizal-Laguna-Bulacan-Cavite “bubble” are still allowed, Philippine National Police Officer-in-Charge Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said Monday.
Only non-essential travel to and from the NCR bubble is prohibited, he explained.
“Within the bubble siya so walang problema ‘yun, allowed siya. Ang hindi lang pwede is lalabas ka ng bubble para pumunta doon,” Eleazara said in a Palace briefing, when asked if individuals from Metro Manila, for example, want to go to Tagaytay City in Cavite for leisure travel or staycation.
(If it’s within the bubble, that’s allowed. What is not allowed is if you will go out of the bubble.)
“For example, galing ka sa Metro Manila, pupunta ka staycation sa Tagaytay, pwede po ‘yun. Pwede rin sa Laguna, pwede rin sa Bulacan,” he added.
(For example, you are from Metro Manila, you will go to Tagaytay for staycation, that is allowed. That is also allowed in Laguna and Bulacan.)
“Pero kung ikaw ay from Manila punta ka ng Boracay, ‘yun ang magiging problema natin dahil hindi kasama o non-essential pati na rin ‘yung tourism kung sa ganitong usapin,” he further explained.
(But if you are from Metro Manila and you will go to Boracay, that will be a problem because that is non-essential even though it is tourism.)
To support this, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said staycation within the bubble is allowed since the conduct of businesses is still encouraged amid the spike of COVID-19 cases.
READ: FAQs: What’s a GCQ bubble?
“Hindi naman lalabas ng bubble. Ineengganyo pa rin natin negosyo,” he said in the same briefing.
The Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has placed Metro Manila, Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite, and Laguna under general community quarantine (GCQ) from March 22 to April 4.
READ: No economic lockdown for now in Metro Manila, 4 provinces under GCQ — Roque
Non-essential travel to and from the GCQ bubble will no longer be allowed.