Leisure travel now allowed from NCR Plus to MGCQ areas
Filipinos whose summer travel plans were cancelled due to the quarantine restrictions since March have only a short time to catch the tail-end of the season.
According to the Department of Tourism (DOT), IATF now allows leisure travel from NCR Plus (Metro Manila, Laguna, Bulacan, Cavite and Rizal) to areas under MGCQ (Modified General Community Quarantine) from June 1 to 15.
Travelers below 18 and above 65 years old will be subject to RT-PCR testing before travel.
Leisure travel will be point-to-point only. Pit stops or stopovers are allowed for eating and personal necessities, but side trips to other tourism destinations are not.
Leisure travel includes commercial flights, not just chartered flights, to tourism destinations.
Other interzonal travel regulations set by the LGUs—such as Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF)—will also apply. The Malay government has not yet announced when the island will reopen.
Department of Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat said, “We are looking forward to once again seeing our tourism destinations welcome tourists from NCR Plus. Of course, this has to be done with utmost precaution. The DOT shall continue to strengthen its coordination with our LGUs to ensure the strict compliance of health and safety protocols. Allowing leisure travel for all ages from NCR Plus Bubble to MGCQ Areas will surely help local tourism back on track towards recovery.”
“We continue to count on travelers to comply with minimum health protocols. I know our kababayans have been wanting to go out and enjoy during the summertime, but let us practice responsibility to protect ourselves and the communities in your chosen destinations,” Puyat added.
