PANGLAO MUNICIPAL TOURISM OFFICE

FULLY-VACCINATED tourists going to Boracay will no longer be required to present a negative COVID-19 test result starting sometime in November as the island will soon hit 100% inoculation for residents and workers, according to the Tourism department.听听听听

Bohol, another popular destination, has lifted the test requirement following a meeting Friday by the provincial task force against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).听

In a statement on his Facebook page, Gov. Arthur C. Yap said the province鈥檚 mayors and members of the local medical society agreed that a negative test result can now be waived for tourists who will present a full vaccination proof from the Department of Health鈥檚 VaxCertPH system.听听听听

Mr. Yap has signed an executive order on the new rule that takes effect Oct. 25.听听

Tourism Secretary Bernadette听Romulo-Puyat, in a statement on Sunday, said Governor听Florencio听T.听Miraflores听of Aklan, which has听jurisdiction听over Boracay, has made a听鈥渃ommitment鈥μ齮o accept visitors with proof of full vaccination 鈥 in lieu of a negative RT-PCR test result 鈥 once the island reaches a 100%听vaccination rate among its residents.鈥澨听

As of Oct. 24, the Department of Tourism (DoT) estimated a 91% vaccination rate among tourism workers on the island and 62.78% for residents.听听听

鈥淥ur vaccination rollouts are crucial in protecting our tourism workers as they face visitors every day. With 100%听of tourism workers in Boracay inoculated, the DoT is confident that in the weeks to come, tourism arrivals on the island will further increase and more tourism establishments will be able to reopen to restore jobs,鈥澨齅s. Puyat said.听听听

With restrictions eased since the second week of September, DoT said Boracay听recorded 6,702 arrivals听that month听and 17,995 in the first three weeks of October.听听听听

DoT also said听there were no new active cases on the island听as of Oct. 18.听听

The entire Aklan province, covering mostly areas within the Panay听mainland,听had 197 active COVID-19 cases as of Oct. 23.听听

鈥淲e believe that with the 100%听inoculation of the island鈥檚 workers, the confidence of more Filipinos to travel will be restored, and that the island will be back on its feet sooner than anticipated,鈥澨齭aid听Ms.听Puyat.听鈥斕齅SJ听

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