PAL expects rise in domestic travel

October 15, 2021 Warsaw

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) expects domestic travel to go up in the next few months as the government eases travel restrictions.

The new guidelines from the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases allow point-to-point interzonal travel including leisure travel from the National Capital Region to areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) and modified GCQ for individuals below 18 years old as well as fully vaccinated individuals over 65 years old,those with immunodeficiencies and comorbidities and pregnant women.

All these travelers are subject to the regulations set by the local government unit (LGU) of the destination city or province and the guidelines of the Department of Tourism.

PAL expressed optimism that more LGUs will ease restrictions as the government ramps up the nationwide vaccination drive and allows point-to-point travel for all ages, provided seniors, pregnant women and persons with identified health risks are fully vaccinated.

“The government’s intensified vaccination drive across various provinces is an important factor in these decisions to make travel more convenient while ensuring the safety of everyone,” added Lee.

Several local government units (LGUs) have eased domestic travel restrictions, flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) said Thursday.

In an advisory, PAL said the following domestic destinations, as of October 13, have relaxed their travel requirements and provided special considerations for fully vaccinated travelers:

* Butuan: Fully-vaccinated travelers may present their vaccination cards in lieu of taking RT-PCR tests

* Cagayan de Oro: No COVID-19 test required for all travelers

* Catarman: No COVID-19 test required for all travelers

* Coron: Fully-vaccinated travelers with negative RT-PCR/saliva test results are now allowed to travel to Coron. Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated travelers are however not allowed

* Culion: Fully-vaccinated travelers with negative RT-PCR test results are now allowed. Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated travelers are however not allowed

* Cebu Province: Travelers may present a medical certificate secured 24 hours before flight

* Cebu City: Fully-vaccinated travelers may take a saliva test within 48 hours of departure, instead of RT-PCR or antigen tests. Cebu-bound tourists whose final destination is Mactan island must comply with Lapu-Lapu City’s travel requirements. Currently, Lapu-Lapu City requires a negative RT-PCR/antigen test result prior to departure

* Dipolog: Fully-vaccinated APOR travelers under official business whose stay in Dipolog does not exceed 48 hours may present their vaccination cards instead of a negative RT-PCR result

* Guimaras: Fully-vaccinated travelers may present their vaccination cards in lieu of taking RT-PCR tests

* Iloilo City: Returning residents and ROFs no longer need to present their RT-PCR test result

* Maguindanao Province (except Cotabato): Fully-vaccinated travelers going to Maguindanao may present their vaccination cards/records in lieu of taking the RT-PCR Test

* Negros Oriental: Fully-vaccinated travelers traveling to Dumaguete and in Negros Oriental may take an antigen test with a negative result (valid up to 48 hours upon release of result) instead of an RT-PCR test and present their vaccination cards/records

* Negros Occidental (except Bacolod City): Fully-vaccinated travelers traveling to Negros Occidental may present their vaccination cards/records in lieu of taking the RT-PCR test

* Ozamiz: Fully-vaccinated travelers may present their vaccination card and negative antigen test result (taken within 72 hours of departure) in lieu of taking the RT-PCR test

* Puerto Princesa: Fully-vaccinated APOR travelers who intend to stay in the city for a maximum of three days only may present their vaccination cards/records to be exempted from the mandatory 10-day quarantine

* Pagadian City: No COVID-19 test required for all travelers

* Tacloban: Fully-vaccinated travelers may present their vaccination cards in lieu of taking RT-PCR tests

PAL said the LGUs relaxed travel requirements as the national government ramps up the vaccination drive and allows point-to-point travel for all ages, provided seniors, pregnant women and persons with identified health risks are fully vaccinated.

The new guidelines from the government’s COVID-19 task force allow point-to-point interzonal travel, including leisure travel, from the National Capital Region (NCR) to areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) and/or modified GCQ for individuals below 18 years of age; fully vaccinated individuals over 65 years of age; fully vaccinated individuals with immunodeficiencies, comorbidities or other health risks; and fully vaccinated pregnant women.

Individuals ages 18 to 65, regardless of vaccination status, continue to be allowed to travel.

“We welcome the latest moves by key LGUs to relax travel protocols, including those for travel to Cebu, Iloilo, Butuan, Dipolog, Tacloban, Dumaguete, Cagayan de Oro, Palawan and other areas. We are hopeful that more LGUs will follow suit in easing travel protocols,” said PAL senior vice president for strategy and planning Dexter Lee.

All travelers are subject to the regulations and protocols set by the LGU of the destination city or province and the guidelines of the Department of Tourism, the airline said.

The flag carrier also urged the flying public to take advantage of their fully vaccinated status when traveling to domestic destinations.

With the downgrading of the alert level status in Metro Manila to Level 3, which allows for reopening of more businesses, PAL is expecting an uptake in domestic travel in the next few months especially in tourist destinations such as Boracay.

Travelers are reminded to comply with Boracay’s tourist travel requirements:

* Negative RT-PCR Test Result (accredited DOH Labs) or Saliva-based test result (PH Red Cross only) with 72 hours validity from date of travel
* Confirmed booking from DOT-accredited establishments
* Approved S-Pass
* Registration as tourist at aklan.gov.ph or touristboracay.com

Other tourist destinations may have similar travel requirements, it said.

PAL advised travelers to check with their destination LGU for the latest rules and requirements, which are subject to change by the issuing local government authority and are issued for passengers’ and the public’s safety.

Source: https://bit.ly/3FL6UT3