El Nido reopens to tourists, but with strict Covid testing

THE white- sand beaches, multicolored coral reefs and fish, and massive limestone cliffs in El Nido, Palawan, will be within reach once more as the municipality starts welcoming tourists on October 30.

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat made the announcement over the weekend while visiting the municipality for a series of meetings with local government officials and executives of some resorts.

In a news statement, she said, “We thank and congratulate the provincial and local government officials and tourism stakeholders of Palawan for moving on to the second phase of El Nido’s travel bubble. Tourists must undergo RT-PCR test and get their negative test results at least 72 hours prior to their trip.”

The Department of Tourism (DOT) has been trying to persuade local government units to reopen their destinations to tourism, to help the sector’s workers regain employment and lift the economy.

The closure of El Nido, Puerto Princesa, and San Vicente in Palawan due to Covid-19 travel restrictions has resulted in some P3.2-billion losses in tourism receipts and the displacement of close to 14,000 tourism workers by the first half of the year. (See, “Key destinations in Palawan lose over P3 billion in tourism receipts,” in the Businessmirror, July 4, 2020.)

“The tourism industry’s reopening is gradually building momentum, especially after the news about the reopening of Boracay and the Ridge and Reef travel bubble between Baguio and the provinces of Region 1 [Ilocos]. Considering that Palawan’s El Nido has been consistently voted as the world’s best island, I would also like El Nido to be seen as part of the industry’s rebirth,” Romulo Puyat underscored.

There are nine resorts in El Nido accredited by the DOT that have secured a certificate of authority to operate (CAO), and 27 with a provisional (CAO).

E l Nido Resorts was the first tourism enterprise in Palawan to obtain a CAO and reopen its doors to tourists from outside the province through the “travel bubble” or point-to-point strategy. Since July, guests from Manila who tested negative for Covid via RT-PCR test 72 hours prior to departure, have been allowed to board eight flights to Lio Airport via Airswift, and stay at one of the island locations of the resort chain. (See, “Leisure trips OK’D in playgrounds of the rich,” in the Businessmirror, September 1, 2020.)

Romulo Puyat told the Businessmirror visitors have to log on to the El Nido municipality’s web site to fill up a health declaration form and thereafter will be given a unique QR code as part of the contactless tracing process. The DOT is now taking further steps to increase visitor confidence and awareness about Palawan’s preparedness in terms of medical services and facilities, as well as emergency response protocols, sharing the best practices employed in the Ridge and Reef Travel Corridor Plan between Baguio City and Ilocos, and in Boracay Island.

While Ayala Corp.’s Airswift is the only carrier that currently flies directly to El Nido, other tourists may access the municipality via five-hour land trip from Puerto Princesa, where Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines have passenger flights.