Fully vaccinated individuals from Metro Manila, regardless of age, are now allowed to travel in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) and modified GCQ, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said.
This, after the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases released on Friday, Oct. 8, the new guidelines allowing interzonal travel for kids and fully vaccinated seniors under Alert Level 4.
According to the DOT, individuals below 18 years old and above 65 who have completed their vaccination can now take trips on a point-to-point basis in areas under GCQ or MGCQ, subject to the Department's guidelines and regulations of the local government unit (LGU) of destination.
Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat welcomed the development, which the DOT has long been pushing as part of efforts to revive the local tourism industry.
"Further easing of travel restrictions will allow more of our fully vaccinated individuals to enjoy interzonal travel, especially families who wish to travel together. Traveling is a way of bonding, and with all the precautions and protocols in place, we can still do it safely together," Puyat said,
"More importantly, this will encourage more Filipinos to secure their jabs as well. As restrictions are lifted, more tourism workers and stakeholders will get back the jobs and livelihoods they lost due to the pandemic," she added.
Aside from children and seniors, the IATF has also allowed individuals with comorbidities and pregnant women to take point-to-point interzonal travel to areas under GCQ and MGCQ provided that they have received their vaccine shots in full.
Puyat said the Department will release guidelines for point-to-point travel to ensure that health and safety protocols are complied with in all destinations.
The tourism chief added that reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests will only be required for the said individuals should the LGU of destination require a negative result.
Meanwhile, the DOT urged travelers from Metro Manila to avail of its 50 percent subsidy on RT-PCR tests at the Philippine Children's Medical Center (PCMC) through this website.