Lapu-Lapu revives tourism
Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan has signed an executive order (EO) creating the “Balik Turismo Task Force” and establishing guidelines for tourism activities under the Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ).
Among the provisions include that only Lapu-Lapu City residents can enjoy the use of public beaches in the city as well as in Olango Island in order to maintain social distancing and other safety protocols.
The EO said that only hotels and accommodation establishments with a certificate of authority to operate that the Department of Tourism had issued shall be allowed to operate under MGCQ at 50 percent operational capacity.
Movement of persons for tourism purposes to and from Lapu-Lapu City shall be allowed while non-Lapu-Lapu City residents may enter the city for tourism purposes to stay in any of the hotels and accommodation duly authorized to operate.
The EO added that only dive shops, schools, island hopping and boat operators engaged in tourism-related industries that are duly registered and accredited by the City Tourism, Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission (TCHAC) shall be allowed during MGCQ.
All boatmen must undergo RT-PCR swab testing and those tested negative will be given an ID from the city. Each pumpboat may operate at a 50 percent capacity, while cooking onboard the pumpboat is prohibited. The guests will be served with packed meals, preferably from the city’s food establishment as one way of spreading the benefits of the city’s reopening of its tourism activities.
In Olango Island, all tricycle drivers shall undergo RT-PCR swab testing to ensure they are negative from COVID-19 virus and bonafide islanders shall be given IDs for easy identification during arrival and departure procedures in the island.
Chan will head the task force, while Cindi King-Chan, who is also the TCHAC chairperson, will serve as the group’s vice chairperson. TCHAC Commissioners Sunshine Lim, Lilet Gallego and several others serve as members.