PANGLAO, Bohol --- Following the successful conduct of the largest government-organized travel event in Panglao Island last September, the province of Bohol will now be accepting leisure travelers, regardless of age, including those coming from general community quarantine (GCQ) areas starting Dec. 15 under a "test-before-travel" policy.
Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat also announced that the Department of Tourism (DOT), through its marketing arm Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) will be allocating P10 million subsidy for the province for the low-cost COVID-19 reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing.
“We cannot delay the reopening of Bohol,” Bohol Governor Arthur Yap said during a press conference on Tuesday in Bellevue Resort, Panglao Island.
He said travelers are required to submit a negative RT-PCR test conducted 72 hours prior to travel. They must also have a pre-arranged booking at DOT-certified accommodation establishments and tour operators as Do-It-Yourself (DIY) travels are now prohibited. They must also register through the province’s website www.centralbooking.myboholtouristcard.com to validate the travel request.
Once approved, the local government unit (LGU) will issue a contract tracing card bearing a unique QR code which will serve as a pass upon entry and while in Bohol.
But Yap said if a tourist exhibits COVID-19 symptoms on the fifth day of his/her stay in the province, the concerned accommodation establishment will be required to contact the LGU for the tourist’s confirmatory test.
“I would like to thank Governor Arthur Yap. That would be welcome news for those who want to travel for Christmas,” Puyat said, noting that the reopening of Bohol is a key driver toward the recovery of the hardest hit sector.
The province first reopened to “controlled” groups, catering only to events like weddings, family reunions, trainings, team-building activities, or any of those under the meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibits (MICE) type of events.
Yap first prioritized “controlled” groups as residents remain hesitant to reopen domestic tourism to leisure travelers amid fears of contracting COVID-19.
But Yap said the losses incurred by the pandemic in Bohol is now estimated in billions of pesos, with more than 220,000 tourism workers who lost their jobs and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) operators and entrepreneurs who have been affected.
“Seventy percent of our economy is dependent on tourism,” the governor said.
Just in Panglao Island, which is considered as the top tourist destination in Bohol for its diving sites, 1.5 to 1.6 million tourists was recorded in 2019, but the island today has been desolate as domestic and foreign visitors are still restricted to visit Bohol.
Asked if the island will eventually expand its tourism bubble by next year, Yap said the matter is "something they can look at" as Panglao Island alone can take in 3,000 tourists per day.
To date, Panglao Island remains COVID-free.
This week, the TPB organized a familiarization trip with MICE organizers and tour operators to prepare the province for its expanded reopening for tourism.