21/10/2021
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PAL WELCOMES EASING OF DOMESTIC TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS
Philippine Airlines expressed optimism that more Local Government Units (LGUs) will ease travel restrictions as the government ramps up the nationwide vaccination drive and allows point to point travel for all ages, provided seniors, pregnant women and persons with identified health risks are fully vaccinated.
The new guidelines from the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) allow point-to-point interzonal travel (including leisure travel) from the National Capital Region (NCR) to areas under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) and/or Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) for: (a) Individuals below 18 years of age); (b) Fully vaccinated individuals over 65 years of age; (c) Fully vaccinated individuals with immunodeficiencies, comorbidities or other health risks; and (d) Fully vaccinated pregnant women. Additionally, individuals ages 18 to 65, regardless of vaccination status, continue to be allowed to travel. All these travelers are subject to the regulations and protocols set by the Local Government Unit (LGU) of the destination city or province and the guidelines of the Department of Tourism.
"We welcome the latest moves by key LGUs to relax travel protocols, including those for travel to Cebu, Iloilo, Butuan, Dipolog, Tacloban, Dumaguete, Cagayan de Oro, Palawan and other areas. We are hopeful that more LGUs will follow suit in easing travel protocols. The government's intensified vaccination drive across various provinces is an important factor in these decisions to make travel more convenient while ensuring the safety of everyone," said PAL Senior Vice President for Strategy and Planning, Mr. Dexter C. Lee.
As of October 13, 2021, domestic destinations which have relaxed their travel requirements and provided special considerations for fully vaccinated travelers include:
BUTUAN -- Fully-vaccinated travelers may present their Vaccination Cards in lieu of taking RT-PCR tests.
CAGAYAN DE ORO -- No COVID-19 test required for all travelers.
CATARMAN -- No COVID-19 test required for all travelers.
CORON -- Fully-vaccinated travelers with negative RT-PCR/Saliva test result are now allowed to travel to Coron. (Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated travelers are however not allowed).
CULION -- Fully-vaccinated travelers with negative RT-PCR test result are now allowed. (Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated travelers are however not allowed).
CEBU PROVINCE (other than Cebu City, Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu City) -- Travelers may present a Medical Certificate secured 24 hours before flight.
CEBU CITY -- Fully-vaccinated travelers may take a Saliva Test (within 48 hours of departure) instead of RT-PCR or Antigen tests.
Cebu-bound tourists whose final destination is Mactan island must comply with Lapu-Lapu City’s travel requirements. Currently, Lapu-Lapu City requires a negative RT-PCR/Antigen test result prior to departure.
DIPOLOG -- Fully-vaccinated APOR travelers under official business whose stay in Dipolog does not exceed 48 hours may present their vaccination cards instead of a negative RT-PCR result.
GUIMARAS -- Fully-vaccinated travelers may present their Vaccination Cards in lieu of taking RT-PCR tests.
ILOILO CITY -- Returning Residents and ROFs no longer need to present their RT-PCR test result.
MAGUINDANAO PROVINCE (except Cotabato) - Fully-vaccinated travelers going to Maguindanao may present their Vaccination Cards/records in lieu of taking the RT-PCR Test.
NEGROS ORIENTAL -- Fully-vaccinated travelers traveling to Dumaguete and in Negros Oriental may take an Antigen test with a negative result (valid up to 48 hours upon release of result) instead of an RT-PCR test and present their Vaccination Cards/Records.
NEGROS OCCIDENTAL (except Bacolod City) – Fully-vaccinated travelers traveling to Negros Occidental may present their Vaccination Cards/records in lieu of taking the RT-PCR Test.
OZAMIZ – Fully-vaccinated travelers may present their vaccination card and negative Antigen Test Result (taken within 72 hours of departure) in lieu of taking the RT-PCR test.
PUERTO PRINCESA -- Fully-vaccinated APOR travelers who intend to stay in the city for a maximum of 3 days only may present their vaccination cards/records to be exempted from the mandatory 10-day quarantine.
PAGADIAN CITY -- No COVID-19 test required for all travelers.
TACLOBAN -- Fully-vaccinated travelers may present their Vaccination Cards in lieu of taking RT-PCR tests.
The flag carrier urges the flying public to take advantage of their fully vaccinated status when traveling to domestic destinations.
"PAL continues to airlift essential vaccines to various parts of the country, in partnership with the Philippine government. To date, PAL has carried 8.7 million vaccine doses from Manila to provinces in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. This comprises 45% of the total number of vaccine doses flown domestically since March this year," added Mr. Lee.
Additionally, the IATF announced that, beginning Oct. 16, the alert level status in Metro Manila will be downgraded to Alert Level 3, which has more relaxed restrictions and allows for reopening of more businesses, vs. the current Level 4.
With this announcement, PAL expects an uptake in domestic travel in the next few months especially in tourist destinations such as Boracay. Travelers are reminded to comply with Boracay’s tourist travel requirements:
· Negative RT-PCR Test Result (accredited DOH Labs) or Saliva-based test result (PH Red Cross only) with 72 hours validity from date of travel
· Confirmed booking from DOT-accredited establishments
· Approved S-Pass
· Registration as tourist at aklan.gov.ph or touristboracay.com
Other tourist destinations may have similar travel requirements. PAL strongly encourages travelers to check with their destination LGU for the latest rules and requirements, which are subject to change by the issuing local government authority and are issued for passengers’ and the public’s safety. For additional information, they may also check with www.philippineairlines.com.
