Intramuros sites, Rizal Park reopen

BECAUSE of the new quarantine levels, Rizal Park and the Intramuros sites Fort Santiago, Baluarte de San Diego, and Plaza San Luis have been opened to the public albeit with limits on capacity and with shortened operating hours. Rizal Park will be open from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. with a maximum capacity of 500 visitors at any given time. Park goers are advised to download the StaySafe app for faster entry into the park premises, although manual contact tracing forms will still be available at entrances for those without access to mobile phones. Fort Santiago will be open from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Mondays to Fridays, and from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays with a maximum capacity of 150 visitors at any given time. Baluarte de San Diego will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will accommodate a maximum of 80 people at a time. Entrance fees for both sides remain at P75 for regular visitors, and P50 for discounted eligible visitors such as seniors, students, and PWDs. Meanwhile, Plaza San Luis will charge no entrance fee and is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Only those aged 18 to 65 are allowed in both Rizal Park and the Intramuros sites. To encourage more National Capital Region residents to get their COVID-19 jabs, the Department of Tourism, through the Intramuros Administration, will set up an express lane for fully vaccinated individuals who wish to visit Fort Santiago and Baluarte San Diego. By using the express lane, fully vaccinated visitors are allowed to accomplish the mandatory contact tracing form when inside the sites and will only need to present it to security personnel before they exit. Regardless of vaccination status, all visitors shall undergo mandatory temperature checks at the sites’ entrance and are required to adhere to the minimum health standards such as wearing of masks and face shields, proper physical distancing, and frequent washing or disinfection of hands.