TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Nov. 7 (PIA) -- As Bohol re-opens a travel bubble starting in Panglao on Nov. 15, 2020, there would be no "do it yourself" tours under the new normal.
As Bohol now only allows tourists in establishments authorized to operate in the new normal as well as the Department of Tourism (DOT) accredited establishments, colorum operators and "fly by night" operators would not be allowed.
Gov. Arthur Yap, during his update at the daily Press Briefing hosted by Presidential Spokesperson Secretary Harry Roque, said the government is studying the possibility of opening domestic tourism on Nov. 15.
Earier, the governor bared that opening Bohol’s tourism would be started by accepting groups on meetings, events, and conventions as it is easier to control and manage being groups that travel together.
The decision was also based on DOT's travel bubble concept.
By travel bubbles, DOT Sec. Bernadette Romulo-Puyat explained that “tourists from countries with low to zero COVID-19 cases as well as those who have successfully demonstrated capability in controlling the spread of COVID-19 within their respective borders” can strike bilateral arrangements between each other to allow travelers “to enter each other’s borders” with minimal quarantine period.
Citing Bohol, and with Panglao Airport, she said tourists from these areas will be allowed to visit the Philippines and “fly directly to tourist hotspots with international airports.”
Needing only a negative COVID-19 test result through Reverse Transcription Polymer Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) in the last 72 hours prior to their flight to Bohol, tourists with less than five days of stay here can register at the tourism portal of the Bohol tourism office, to be processed and given entry.
Earlier, the BIATF issued guidelines for persons with less than five days of stay in Bohol, which does not require a 14-day quarantine period as long as they can show negative COVID-19 results in an RT PCR test.
Tourists will need to log in to tourism.bohol.gov.ph and fill out their name, email, age, gender, contact numbers, nationality, residence, and employment.
A tourist would also need to state his booking references, purpose of travel, accommodation establishments and booking reference, number of nights of stay in Bohol, and then attach the negative COVID-19 RT PCR test result.
After submitting their registration details, they will be provided with a unique Quick Response (QR) Code.
The site is dedicated to register tourists coming in to the island.
The registration acts as a way to populate the computer-based databank which also gives access to Bohol authorities to track the tourists based on the time the card is used or scanned in tourism points.
As the registration populates the data bank, it also assigns a QR Code to the Bohol Card given to tourists when they arrive in Bohol.
The unique QR Code assigned to a tourist would be tracked as soon as the tourist uses the card in establishments, transportation, and in tourism stops when it is scanned by an android smartphone based QR scanner.
With the Bohol Card, a tourist simply has to book a tourism stop ahead and make online payments in a system of contactless payments system under the new normal.
The card, which Yap said numbers 300,000, would also be given for free to household heads here.
Critical to the system is the strict adherence to the health and safety protocols and a reliable contact tracing system in place to allow authorities to decisively contain an area should there be a transmission of COVID-19. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)
Source: Philippines Information Agency (pia.gov.ph)
0 Comments