Panglao isle may open Q4

MANILA, 7 August 2020: Bohol’s Panglao Island should reopen to tourists in the fourth quarter of this year according to the Philippines’ Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat.

“As of now, the target is the last quarter of the year as long as tourists are from MGCQ (modified general community quarantine) areas… (It’s a) last quarter opening but Panglao Island only,” Romulo-Puyat told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) in a text message.

The announcement came after her consultative meeting with the Bohol LGU and Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Friday when they health and safety protocols were discussed in detail.

Romulo-Puyat also confirmed that the Department of Tourism (DOT) has been discussing a possible travel corridor with countries with low cases of Covid-19. But like other countries in ASEAN, finding the right partner countries with a low incidence of the disease is proving difficult.

“We’ve been having informal talks together with the Department of Foreign Affairs, with Korea, with Japan but, of course, everything is fluid. We’ve already been talking that once travel restrictions have been lifted, we can already talk about direct flights,” she said.

In a virtual press session, Bohol Governor Arthur Yap said all tourism establishments that wish to reopen would be required to secure an Ultimate Bohol Experience (UBE) Seal on top of DOT’s accreditation.

This Bohol-specific seal would cover an establishment’s compliance with the province’s sewage treatment plant requirements and carrying capacity, even the use of renewable energy.

“We want to check their (energy) footprint because that is what Bohol is all about. It’s about sustainable eco-agri-tourism, so we want to protect our patrimony to make sure that this is going to be here for ages to come. I think it is a surmountable requirement,” Yap said, referring to the soon-to-be-required UBE accreditation.

Panglao is an island in the north Bohol Sea, located in the Central Visayas region of the Visayas island group, in the south-central Philippines.

From Manila, travellers board a one-hour flight to Tagbilaran City, the capital of Bohol and then take the 30-minute  transfer by minivan, the trip to Panglao Island.

(Source: PNA)