Batanes starts ‘trial period’ for tourism reopening

UP NORTH | The port at the capital town of Basco in Batanes is among the busiest areas in the picturesque northernmost province. (Photo by CARL JENKIN GORDO GONZALES / Contributor)

ITBAYAT, Batanes, Philippines — The provincial government has started its gradual reopening of tourism starting May 15 as it eased its travel restrictions after shutting its door to tourists for two years due to the pandemic.

But only fully vaccinated tourists would be allowed to enter the province for leisure activities since the provincial government had already scrapped the quarantine requirements upon arrival, Gov. Marilou Cayco said.

“This is a soft opening [of the local tourism]. We will only accommodate a maximum of 50 tourists every week,” Cayco told the Inquirer on Tuesday.

In an advisory on May 15, the provincial government described the reopening of local tourism as a “trial period” until June 30. Cayco said all the regulations for the experimental resumption of tourism-related activities in the province were approved by the local pandemic response task force.

Bookings

Based on the guidelines issued by the provincial government, children who are under 5 years old and those who are ineligible for vaccination are prohibited from entering the province.

All tourists are also required to book with tour operators and accommodation facilities that are accredited by the Department of Tourism (DOT) ahead of their visits.

“There will be no incidental tourists as booking has to be done in advance through the DOT-accredited tour operators and with a certificate of acceptance,” the provincial government said.

Upon their arrival, all tourists will have to present their vaccination cards and will be subjected to health screening and testing, which is free of charge.

Those exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms will be taken to a designated government isolation or quarantine facility.

The provincial government is also discouraging tourists from mingling with the locals if this activity is not included in their itineraries.

Returning residents, including overseas Filipino workers and returning authorized persons outside of residence (Apor), and government workers on official business are also allowed entry into the province starting May 15. This northernmost province, known for its stone houses and landscapes, had maintained a community-backed border lockdown to prevent its residents from contracting COVID-19 at the onset of the pandemic in March 2020.

Itbayat was one of the first areas in the country to impose travel restrictions in the first week of February 2020. It then banned tourists in March of that year as a precaution against the spread of the virus.

As of Monday, Batanes had zero active COVID-19 cases. It registered 381 infections, 377 recoveries, and 4 deaths related to the viral disease since 2020, based on the tracker of the Department of Health.

—NATHAN ALCANTARA

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