The age limit for tourists entering Boracay Island has been eased to allow children and senior citizens to visit the world-famous island after the Inter-agency Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) approved the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) request to allow the then restricted individuals to visit the world-famous island in Aklan province.

In a letter, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat informed the Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP) President Jose Clemente III that the IATF had approved on Wednesday, July 23, the DOT’s request to relax the age limit requirement for visitors in Boracay Island.

The island was placed under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) beginning June 1. With the approval from the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF), the local heads reopened the island on June 16.

But Puyat said even with the lifting of the ban on younger and older tourists, the existing policy on allowing only residents of Western Visayas region to visit the island remains.

This means that only residents from the provinces of Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental can go to Boracay.

Boracay Island has no reported coronavirus case.

The tourism secretary assured government support to ensure the implementation of health and safety protocols upon arrival of local visitors.

“The DOT will always put paramount concern on the safety of our people—tourists and residents alike,” she said.

As of July 23, the DOT Western Visayas has issued 115 certificates of authority to operate (CAO) to hotels, resorts and lodging which offer 2,635 rooms all found compliant with the health and safety standards.