The local government of Puerto Princesa City in Palawan still does not allow tourists from outside the city.
According to Mayor Lucilo Bayron, there are 900 active cases in the city, and their health care facilities are also limited.
“Mahigpit talaga dito compared doon sa ibang LGUs kasi ang health care system namin dito, menos na menos din compared sa ibang LGUs. Ang mga ospital dito ang liliit tapos hindi lang taga city ang kine-cater niyan, pero sa ibang munisipyo din,” the mayor said.
“As of now, puno ang aming hospitals, di makapasok ang mga patient, for example COVID patient on the same day, aabutin pa ng 1 day or 2 days kaya, kailangan namin proteksyunan ang ating health care system,” added Mayor Bayron.
The required requirements for tourists entering the city are a negative RT-PCR test, vaccination card showing fully vaccinated, S-pass registration, airline ticket, travel order showing authorized person outside of residence or APOR, and others.
Bayron said they have already reduced restrictions because they have lifted the curfew at 11 pm from the previous 9 pm.
Puerto Princesa City remains closed to tourists
He said they are slowly opening up their economy.
“Hindi pa kami tumatanggap ng tourists as of now kasi ang feeling namin, kung iopen namin ang doors namin for tourism, walang takers pa. Iyong mga hotel closed, iyong mga restaurant ay hindi nag-ooperate kaya sabi namin buhayin muna ang local economy,” said Mayor Bayron.
He said the city’s target is that in April next year, they will be able to ease tourism in the city.
According to Palawan Gov. Jose Alvarez, other LGUs in Palawan are more lenient.
“Bukas na kami sa El Nido, sa San Vicente, tuloy-tuloy ka na lang, kung bakunado ka, RT-PCR ka, kung gusto mo wala ka RT-PCR, bakunado ka, may-antigen ka lang,” said Alvarez.
He said only 20 percent of the province’s target population had been vaccinated against COVID-19. Still, Alvarez hopes it will be increased immediately even though the vaccine supply is no longer a problem for the province.
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