Philippines

49% of Filipinos have said that their life has become worse over the past year, according to a Social Weather Stations survey

14,023 people have been evacuated from low-lying communities in Manila after heavy monsoon rain

Metro Manila will extend its curfew from 10pm-4am as part of the GCQ “with heightened restrictions” from 25 Jul

37% of Filipinos are optimistic that their quality of life will improve in the next 12 months, according to a Social Weather Stations Survey in late Jun

The Philippines will ban travellers from Malaysia and Thailand from 25 Jul-31 Jul

Metro Manila will see stricter restrictions imposed once more, with indoor conference venues and tourist attractions closed and operating capacity of indoor and outdoor dining also cut

The government will accept vaccination certificates issued by Local Government Units (LGUs) as proof of vaccination for returning travellers

Children aged 5-17 years old in the National Capital Region are once more not allowed out from their homes

Baguio city is developing bike lanes of 13.7km. Cordillera has started to use biking as a promotional tool for tourism

The government administered a record 472,356 doses on 23 Jul

Negros Occidental will require all travellers, even vaccinated ones, to provide a negative test for entry

The DOT will allow room sharing at quarantine hotels if the patients are from the same household

Baguio will start testing children travelling to the city, as well as testing unvaccinated adult travellers. They are also lowering the ceiling of 3,000 tourists visiting the city per day, and have engaged Ogilvy Consulting to help design marketing strategies to boost the city’s tourism

Balangiga has seen the benefits since the Balangiga bells were returned to the town, with more tourism-related businesses, and upgrades to roads, as well as an increase of tourists from 2,000 in 2017 to 100,000 from Dec 2018-2019

The number of cases in the National Capital Region have grown by 27% in just 7 days, OCTA Research has said

The DOT has launched a new Halal Culinary Tourism series, which promotes the heritage of Mindanao and the region as a destination. Through the initiative, it plans to create experiences and attractions by LGUs and private businesses for tourists, promote halal tourism in the region and undertake culinary and heritage mapping

There were more workers made redundant in H2 2020 than those who resigned, the Philippine Statistics Authority has said, with 79 workers for every 1,000 employed being made redundant, and 52 leaving their jobs

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has maintained its estimates for the Philippines’ 2021 GDP growth, of 4.5%

Bacolod City will require even vaccinated travellers to the city to provide a negative test

Cordova has closed 3 tourism destinations for 2 weeks to prevent virus transmission, from 20 Jul-2 Aug

The DOT has said that the average age of an international inbound traveller to the Philippines in 2020 was 36.69, and that 69.3% were repeat visitors. 96.4% were FITs, with just 3.6% on a package tour, something which the Tourism Congress of the Philippines has questioned

Inbound tourism spend in 2020 fell to 135.59 billion PHP, -77.9% YoY, whilst domestic tourism generated 556.89 billion PHP, -82.3% YoY. There were 4.68 million tourism workers employed in 2020, -18.1% YoY vs 2019’s 5.72 million

Aurora province will require all tourists from GCQ and MGCQ areas to present negative swab tests as part of the opening to domestic tourists from 1 Aug

The government is forecasting its GDP growth to remain at 6-7% in 2021 and 7-9% in 2022, returning to pre-pandemic levels in 2022

4 areas will be under the strictest restrictions, Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) until 31 Jul: Iloilo province, Iloilo City, Cagayan de Oro and Gingoog City

The DOT will support Iloilo’s bid to be designated a Creative City of Gastronomy by the UNESCO Creative Cities 2021

The first Delta variant cases have been detected

The government has updated its list of “green countries” for vaccinated travellers to arrive from for a shorter quarantine period, with 11 countries added, and 11 removed

The new school year will start on 13 Sep through online learning

Metro Manila’s additional GCQ restrictions have been lifted, and will be under a more relaxed GCQ from 16-31 Jul

The Philippines has banned inbound travellers from Indonesia from 16-31 Jul

The Department of Health is considering a ban on inbound travellers from Malaysia and Thailand due to the Delta variant

A new dive tourism site in Aloguinsan town, Cebu province, is being planned

The travel restrictions on India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman entering the Philippines has been extended until 31 Jul

Subic Bay Freeport will allow vaccinated travellers to forgo tests when they visit. Sports and outdoor events will also be permitted

The Philippines, along with Vietnam, will be one of the last countries to reach herd immunity with 70% vaccinated, according to Oxford Economics. It predicts that it may take until mid-2022 for the Philippines to vaccinate 78 million people

The DOT will ask the government to lower the price of RT-PCR tests, to encourage more travel

A Mastercard report, Recovery Insights: Ready for Takeoff? has shown that demand for business travel outstrips leisure travel in the Philippines

Baguio is still not receiving many visitors. In Jun it received just 12,030 arrivals, around 10% of its pre-pandemic target, and it is just receiving 700 tourists on weekdays and 1,500 on weekends

The daily average cases in the National Capital Region (NCR) has decreased by 2% WoW, OCTA Research has said

Mati City will launch a new mobile app to help visitors check tourism-related businesses before arriving

Almost 41,000 tourists have benefited from the DOT’s subsidised tests. 84% (34,293) were for travel to Boracay, 2,355 for Bohol, 2,105 to Palawan, 793 to Siargao. Other destinations included Baguio, Cebu, Ilocos Norte/Sur, Zambales, Bataan, and Batangas

The DOT has said that there is still no timeline to reopen to international tourists, as it depends on the vaccine supply

The School of Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management (SHRIM) of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) has launched 2 new postgraduate programs, the Doctor in Tourism and Hospitality Management (DTHM) and the Doctor of Philosophy in Tourism and Hospitality Management by Research (PhD by Research)

Pasay City held a Pasay City Farm Tourism training course to encourage barangay officials to develop green spaces which can be offered as part of tour packages

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) plans to launch its COVID-19 vaccination certificate by early Aug

Batangas has banned leisure travel in high-risk areas near Taal volcano

Children under 5 years old are now permitted outdoors in GCQ and MGCQ areas, including outdoor tourist sites. However, they are still banned from shopping malls

Camiguin has said that it will focus on the virus first before reopening to tourism

The government has agreed to leave it to Local Government Units (LGUs) to decide whether fully vaccinated domestic travellers would need a negative test to enter

Boracay Island needs 40,000 doses for all residents to achieve 100% coverage. As of 9 Jul, 1,122 tourism workers on the island were vaccinated with at least one dose

Ilocos Norte will still require a negative test from fully vaccinated domestic travellers, as without a centralised record of vaccinated persons, the validation of cards is a challenge

A Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey has shown that 49% of families surveyed described themselves as poor, and 33% as borderline poor. 9.4% were “Newly Poor”, or those who were non-poor 1-4 years ago

50 million Filipinos must be vaccinated to be able to stop the wearing of face shields and masks, the government has said

Boracay will continue to require negative tests from fully vaccinated domestic tourists for entry, until there is a system for verifying vaccination cards

The DOT has announced that the Department of Information and Communications Technology is working on a system using cryptocode to upload vaccination information into a national database, making it easier for LGUs to verify vaccination cards

436 applications for the CARES for Travel loan schemes have been received, with a value of 188 million PHP. The government stated that the low take-up is due to tourism businesses unwilling to take on loans when they are not open. The average loan size is 430,993 PHP

Boracay Island has been awarded the WTTC Safe Travels Stamp, as well as 11 Boracay based accommodation providers

The DOT has said that only Baguio City has so far allowed the entry of vaccinated domestic tourists without negative test results, as they have already vaccinated 40% of its population. They noted that many LGUs are willing to adopt the new IATF resolution on allowing vaccinated travellers to skip testing, but they were hesitant due to low vaccination rates

The Philippines’ total population is 109 million as of end May 2021

The government has said there is no timeline for lifting COVID-19 restrictions, as it depends on the vaccination rollout

Bohol will continue to require fully vaccinated travellers entering to have a negative test

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) have said that only 44% of MSMEs are operating fully, with 46% partially operating and 10% closed. June data showed a drop of 53.8% in MSME sales

Baguio will limit the number of daily tourists to 3,000. Currently, it is receiving around 800 on weekdays and 1,000 on weekends

Sagada has said that it plans to partially reopen to tourism from Sep

Ilocos Sur Port has now been expanded and will be formally inaugurated on 8 Jul. It will be able to accommodate cruise ships

The DOT will partner with the Powerpuff Girls in a new campaign to highlight safe travel tips in the Philippines

Lapu-Lapu City has said that they will no longer require fully vaccinated domestic tourists to provide a negative RT-PCR test to enter the city

Boracay is hopeful that it can open to international travel bubbles soon

2GO expects domestic tourist demand to pick up in H2, and is urging customers to “firm up” travel plans

Cauayan City will adopt the IATF resolution on allowing fully vaccinated domestic travellers to enter without RT-PCR tests, and will launch “Green Lanes” for travellers

Cebu provincial government has requested that the government bear the costs of quarantine for returning overseas Filipinos, as Duterte promised

Baguio will allow the entry of fully vaccinated domestic tourists without negative test results

Travel protocols for fully vaccinated travellers in the Philippines have been finalised for intrazonal travel (travel movement in an area under the same quarantine rules). Intrazonal travel is subject to presenting a domestic vaccination card, or a certificate of quarantine completion, and will be a sufficient alternative to any testing requirement that a Local Government Unit (LGU) may require. Fully vaccinated senior citizens will only be permitted to undergo intrazonal travel in GCQ or MGCQ areas

The DOT has held a 5-day Panglao Dive Festival in Bohol as part of the DOT’s 1st DIVE7 Summer Event

The DOT held a food tourism festival, “KAIN NA!” in Angeles City from 11-13 Jun, under the theme “Food Tourism Reboot”. They announced that culinary themed tours throughout the country are being developed by PHILTOA members

The Philippines has raised the alert level for the Taal volcano, and has evacuated at least 14,495 people who live nearby

Metro Manila has seen an increase in cases in the previous week, OCTA Research has said

Boracay in H1 2021 welcomed 74,397 domestic visitors, -75.5% YoY. The majority of visitors were in Jun, 26,354

The Philippines will allow those vaccinated outside of the Philippines to undergo a 7-day quarantine. The Bureau of Immigration has said that fully vaccination inbound and outbound pax must present proof of vaccination on arrival to the Philippines. Those vaccinated outside the Philippines can present an international certificate of vaccination, or have their documents validated through the Philippine Overseas Labor Office. Those vaccinated outside the Philippines must come from a list of 57 “green” countries, and have stayed in them for 14 days prior to arrival

The DOT has warned tourists against visiting high-risk towns in the Batangas due to the Taal volcano

Cebu province has asked the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for a compromise on quarantine for travellers from abroad, asking to be able to implement their own protocols for returning Cebuanos

Duterte has said that he could be considered as a serious candidate for the Vice President in the next elections, to “maintain equilibrium”

The Bayanihan 2 Act lapsed on 30 June, with many allocations unspent still. This includes 1 billion PHP allocated to build roads to tourism destinations

The government will implement a uniform quarantine policy for returning Filipinos

The Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF) have submitted position papers that are opposed to the creation of a government owned and controlled corporation to manage Boracay Island, saying that a regulatory body is required to ensure sustainable tourism

The Maritime Industry Authority is looking to improve its marine tourism, with a national cruise ship development strategy and action plan to position the Philippines as a regional cruise centre. By 2028, they hope to increase marine tourism by 25%. It will develop the Turquoise Triangle, which takes in Manila and Subic Bay, Boracay, Iloilo and Puerto Princesa

The 6 billion PHP funds allocated under Bayanihan 2 for tourism MSMEs will remain still valid, even after the expiration of the Act. As of 25 Jun, the fund has approved 433 loan applications with a total of 185.6 million PHP

RedDoorz Philippines has launched a new brand, Sans Hotel, aimed at Gen Z travellers. The first hotel is now open in Manila, and it plans to open more in Tagaytay City and Cebu City

The Tourism Promotions Board Philippines (TPB) will give equal importance to domestic and international events, including hybrid and virtual events, called the “Enhanced MICE Plus Programme”. Support includes airport reception, giveaways for delegates, hosted meals and drinks, half day city tour and technical assistance to coordinate with the private and government sectors

The ban on travellers from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, United Arab Emirates, and Oman will be extended until 15 Jul

The Philippine Outrigger Canoe Club (POCC) wants to make Cebu the paddle sports capital of the Philippines, as well as position the Philippines as a destination for it worldwide

Davao City has allocated vaccines for 7,000 tourism workers, from 30 Jun-2 Jul

Metro Manila, and the NCR Plus area will stay under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) from 1-15 Jul. Metro Manila, Rizal and Bulacan are under GCQ “with some restrictions”, whilst Laguna and Cavite are under GCQ “with heightened restrictions”. Davao City and Puerto Princesa, amongst others, are under the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ), whilst the rest of the country is under Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ)

As of 23 Jun, 43,351 applications had been received for the RT-PCR test 50% subsidy

The DOT is discussing the possibility of waiving swab tests for fully vaccinated travellers for domestic travel

The DOT has confirmed that there have been no new virus outbreaks due to tourism, and that they continue to engage with those Local Government Units (LGUs) who are reluctant to open up to tourism

The ban on travel from the NCR Plus region to Puerto Princesa has been extended until the end Jun

Mandaue City will close all public and private resorts over the weekend, only accommodating those with previous bookings, to stop overcrowding for those coming for a Saints Feast Day

From 1-24 Jun, 20,058 tourists have visited Boracay. 12,761 came from the National Capital Region (NCR)

Agoda’s Travel in 2021 survey has shown of its Filipino respondents: • The top ways for travel are exploring local destinations never visited before, taking short trips, and looking for experiences such as added perks and themed travel stays • 16% are willing to splurge on accommodation • F&B benefits, experiences and early check-in/ check out are the top-rated benefits for accommodation packages

Metro Manila is now a “low risk” area, according to the DOH

The DOT and the Tourism Promotions Board will launch a 2nd phase of subsidised RT-PCR tests with the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC). It will cover 50% of costs from Jul-Dec 2021, and is expected to benefit 13,333 domestic tourists

The DOT plans to focus on outdoor activities such as hiking and biking to attract domestic tourists to visit Ilocos region. They will also launch a Marian Pilgrimage Tour, an Eastern, Western and Central Pangasinan Tourism Circuit, bird watching in Ilocos Norte and ecotrails in La Union

SM Hotels and Conventions Corp believe that Pampanga will lead recovery, as Clark has been under MGCQ for a long time. They see recovery happening towards the end of 2023-2024

The IATF has said that the 10-day mandatory quarantine for inbound passengers returning to the country was legally binding, and apply throughout the country

As part of the DOT’s Reformulated National Tourism Development Plan (RNTDP) for 2021-2022, it will work to develop/ improve tour quality and experiences which match safe travel preferences, including outdoors activities. They are also looking to collaborate with the private sector to design and promote educational trips for schools and youth organisations, want to accelerate safe and green travel infrastructure, and implement uniform travel protocols

As part of the DOT’s Reformulated National Tourism Development Plan (RNTDP) for 2021-2022, it will look at developing “Green Corridors” using gateways such as Clark, Cebu, Davao, Bohol, Puerto Princesa for direct flights to reopen borders

374 accommodation providers have been accredited by the DOT in Baguio City

Duterte has rejected the Department of Education’s plan to resume in-person classes at schools

Cebu province has said that it will follow the IATF’s protocols, but will swab travellers on arrival. If they test negative, they will still need to undergo a 10-day quarantine, with a swab test on the 7th day. Returning Filipinos will no longer need to pay for the hotel quarantine

The Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) has asked the DOT for more assistance, including maximising benefits from the Social Security System and lifeline packages for monthly bills. They have launched its “Bills Support Care” scheme

Filipinos are still permitted to return from the 7 banned countries if they are part of the government’s repatriation activities

Face shields must still be worn everywhere, including for public transport and indoor use

A survey on Filipino travellers has shown: • 57% plan to travel soon, 58% in a year • The biggest motivation for travel was: visiting family members, vacation plans and search for work/ business opportunities • Top consideration is budget, followed by health and safety • 54% would still be apprehensive about travel, even after being fully vaccinated • 66% see testing as a challenge for travel, 59% higher costs and 50% the need for permits • 39% see Baguio as the top destination for travel, 30% Boracay, 30% Palawan

The DOT has said they are not keen to open the country to international tourists yet due to virus variants

The Businessman and Compliance Association of Boracay have called for tourism frontliners and the general population of Boracay to be vaccinated, so that they can start to accept international direct flights, boosting the economy

The government has said that it is working on issuing a common digital ID to act as vaccination proof, which would use a QR code

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) will discuss how to verify Filipino travellers’ status who have been vaccinated abroad

Rajah Tours has asked the DOT to relax the rules for loans to travel businesses as despite changes to the loans, these are not sufficient as bookings have not recovered

The number of unemployed as of May 2021 has decreased to 12.2 million, according to a Social Weather Stations survey, who estimate that the rate is 25.8% of the labour force. The overall level is still higher than pre-pandemic

The IATF has directed state agencies to follow the national protocols for arriving passengers into the country, including at Cebu

More than 4,000 travellers have visited Baguio, booking 50% of the available rooms at large hotels from 1-15 Jun. The majority are from Metro Manila. However, the Summit and Sea travel bubble between San Fernando City and Baguio had not substantially lifted visitor numbers, which Baguio has said is down to strict testing requirements at La Union borders, who require an RT-PCR test as opposed to the antigen tests

The 7-day quarantine for vaccinated Filipino travellers will start from 22 Jun

The DOT is forecasting that domestic travel will recover to 90% of pre-pandemic levels by 2022 at the earliest, 2024 in worst case scenarios as part of its National Tourist Development Plan for 2021-2022. It is targeting 75 million domestic trips in 2021, and 100 million in 2022 under its upside scenario, whilst a severe scenario might see 14.1 million domestic trips in 2021 and 18.8 million in 2022. The DOT has said that it faces a “gargantuan challenge”. It will position the Philippines as a “safe, fun and competitive destination rooted in strong partnerships with communities and visitors”

The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) will visit Cebu soon to assess their quarantine policy for Overseas Workers

Travellers between Iloilo City and Bacolod City on fastcraft vessels has increased after the travel moratorium was lifted

Cebu City is open to allowing fully vaccinated domestic travellers to enter the city without testing

The Philippines Statistics Authority have released data showing that the Tourism Direct Gross Value Added declined by 61.2% in 2020, reaching 973.31 billion PHP, lower than 2019’s 2.51 trillion PHP. It contributed just 5.4% to the country’s GDP in 2020 vs 2019’s 12.8%. Inbound tourism expenditure dropped by -77.9%, domestic by 82.3% and outbound by 73.2%. Internal tourism (domestic + inbound) reached 698.48 PHP in 2020 vs 2019’s 3.74 trillion PHP. Accommodation dropped by 85.7%. The Gross Value Added of Tourism Industries (GVATI) dropped by 72.1% in 2020, with a decline in accommodation of 90.3%, travel agents 82.7% and shopping 76.1%. Employment in tourism-related industries was estimated at 4.88 million in 2020, -18.1% YoY

NCR Plus tourists of all ages can travel to tourist destinations under MGCQ until 30 Jun, the DOT has confirmed. However, those coming from Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal may only do point to point travel to GCQ/ MGCQ areas. Accredited staycation hotels in GCQ areas can operate at 100% capacity, whilst DOT accredited accommodation can operate at 30% capacity for guests from the same household. Outdoor tourist attractions and museums in GCQ areas including NCR and Bulacan can operate at 50% capacity, whilst it is 30% capacity for Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal

The construction of a cruise ship terminal in Luzon has held its formal ground-breaking ceremony. It will be the second international cruise ship terminal in the Philippines once completed

The IMF is expecting the GDP 2021 growth to be 5.4%, down from its original forecast of 6.9%, due to the measures put in place earlier in the year

The Finance Secretary has said that the Philippines could receive up to 204 million doses in 2021, and has already secured 149.83 million doses

From 1-13 Jun, 9,066 tourists visited Boracay, with the majority coming from Metro Manila

Duterte has ordered that travellers who fake test results be arrested

The Department of Health has noted an increased in the number of cases last week

The number of COVID deaths in Jun is declining

The travel ban on arrivals from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Oman and the UAE has been extended until 30 Jun

Lapu-Lapu City will require domestic travellers from Bohol, Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental to present a negative test before entry

Cebu will maintain its policy of swabbing Returning Overseas Filipinos and Overseas Filipino Workers on arrival at the airport, despite being ordered by Duterte to follow the IATF protocol

The DOT has approved 35 hotels which can offer both quarantine and non-quarantine services

Metro Manila will shorten its curfew hours to 12am-4am from 15 Jun

NCR Plus will remain under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) from 16-30 Jun. Metro Manila and Bulacan will be under GCQ with “some restrictions”, whilst Rizal, Laguna and Cavite will be under with “heightened restrictions”

The Philippine Commission on Sports Scuba Diving has called for the establishment of travel bubbles to revive diving sites and businesses

The DOT is optimistic that quarantines will not be required for fully vaccinated tourists in the next few months

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) only expect the Philippines’ GDP to return to pre-pandemic levels at the end of 2022

The DOT is encouraging resorts and hotels to cater for domestic digital nomads who want to escape Manila, with fast internet and wellness activities

Baguio has recorded an increase in tourists, with 1,406 from 31 May-6 Jun, double the previous week

Travellers from Bohol, Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental will need to take an RT-PCR or Rapid Antigen Test for arriving into Cebu from 14 Jun

The Presidential spokesperson, Roque, has claimed that the idea to divert flights from landing in Cebu to Manila was the idea of the Cebu governor

Ilocos Norte’s Adams town will only permit 150 tourists daily due to an increase in cases. Adams saw 26,148 tourists visit from Jan-May 2021, +489% YoY. Boracay business owners have asked the provincial government to shorten the island’s quarantine, as well as lift the liquor ban

The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) will allow fully vaccinated senior citizens under GCQ and MGCQ areas out from their homes for non-essential purposes. However, they are still not permitted to do interzonal travel

More businesses are allowed to reopen in NCR Plus, including historical sites and museums at 20% capacity, and indoor non-contact sports venues at 30% venue capacity

The number of Metro Manila hospitals at 100% capacity has decreased to 5 from 10, as of 9 Jun

The DOT has praised the “very timely” reopening of historical sites and museums, ahead of the Philippines Independence Day on 12 Jun

Shopee has partnered with the Department of Health to encourage vaccination confidence

The Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP) has said that they hope the increased loan amounts will help tourism MSMEs. As of 7 Jun, the government has approved only 426 applications for 183.2 million PHP under the 6 billion PHP fund

The Trade Secretary has said that digital versions of vaccination cards may be available within a month for Filipinos

More senators are backing Cebu’s policy of testing Returning Overseas Filipinos (ROFs) and Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) upon their arrival at Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA)

The Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) Small Business (SB) Corp. has extended the grace period of interest-free soft loans for tourism businesses to two years from one year and will allow a second round of loans to retain employees. The maximum loanable amount of 5 million PHP for medium enterprises, 3 million PHP for small enterprises and 300,000 for micro enterprises

The DOT is looking to promote heritage, culinary and agrotourism in Bulacan. It will also provide technical assistance for ecotourism development. They will also do a Food Mapping project. Leisure travel from NCR plus has been permitted to Bulacan from 1 Jun

Bacolod City has reopened its Victorias City Resort and Gawahon Eco-Park

Tour operators in Cebu and Central Visayas has said that they are willing to work with the DOT to set strategies to welcome vaccinated international travellers into the region

The DOT has forecast international travellers in 2022 to be from 2-5 million. For 2021, inbound arrivals are estimated to be from 500,000-1.2 million, vs the pre-pandemic target of 10.4 million. Inbound 2021 tourism revenue could be from 7 billion-83 billion PHP

Ilocos Norte has been promoting itself as a sports tourism destination

The United States has eased its travel warning for the Philippines to Level 3 from its previous Level 4

The diversion of international flights from Mactan-Cebu International Airport to Manila has been extended until 12 Jun, as Cebu province and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) have yet to agree on measures

Quarantine hotels in Cebu for ROFs and OFWs have been permitted to increase their room rates to match those of Metro Manila hotels. There are now 3,600 accredited quarantine rooms in Cebu

The World Bank has further cut its 2021 GDP forecast to 4.7% from its previous 5.5%

The DOT and Tiktok have launched a new campaign, #SarapMagingPinoy, promoting Filipino cuisine

The ban on travellers arriving from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Oman and the UAE has been extended until 15 Jun

The Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) is asking the World Bank for a $150 million USD loan to improve the sewer facilities in Bohol, Siquijor and Siargao, as part of its Sustainable Inclusive and Resilient Tourism Project. TIEZA is also looking at speeding up developments in Coron and El Nido

2,149 tourists visited Boracay from the NCR region over 4-5 Jun, after Boracay reopened to NCR Plus travellers

The presidential spokesperson has said that there must be an international agreement for a standard vaccination certificate to help governments to authenticate the documents

The DOT has said that it has given permission for many international film crews to film in the Philippines during the pandemic

718 NCR Plus tourists arrived into Boracay on 5 Jun

Bolinao in Patar reopened to tourists from NCR Plus

Ilocos Norte has reopened to leisure travellers from NCR Plus travellers, but is point to point only, with no side trips. Tourists must have a saliva or nasal RT-PCR test

A Social Weather Stations Survey has shown that more Filipinos believe that the “worst is yet to come”, at 49%, an increase from 31% in Nov 2020

The Philippine Outrigger Canoe Club is trying to promote the Philippines as a paddling destination, with a group of paddlers undertaking a 200km long expedition around Cebu

The DOT has launched a 5-year plan for the development of tourism professionals, the Philippine Tourism Human Capital Development Plan (PTHCD) for 2021-2025

Fully vaccinated travellers entering the Philippines will be able to quarantine for just 7 days at a facility. An RT-PCR test will only be given if they show symptoms during the 7 days

Camiguin in Northern Mindanao has postponed its planned reopening for tourists amidst concerns of triggering more local cases

Fully vaccinated people in the Philippines may see incentives such as more relaxed travel restrictions, but this may need to wait until the country reaches 30% vaccination, with 50% of senior citizens vaccinated

One of the reasons why vaccinated balikbayans will not qualify for the 7-day quarantine is the difficulty of authenticating their vaccination status, so they will still need to undergo the 14-day quarantine process

Those with Special Resident Retiree’s Visas (SRRV) will be permitted to enter the Philippines once more

The DOT has said that the date for the reopening of the Philippines is hard to predict due to the volatile situation. They are concentrating their hopes on the idea of green lanes for vaccinated travellers

The DOT wants to invite Korean stars BTS and Hyun Bin to visit the Philippines

50% fewer Philippine travellers in an Agoda Sustainable Travel Trends Survey want to travel more sustainably

Boracay Island has already started to accept NCR Plus tourists – tourists are allowed to use either the saliva test or nasal RT-PCR test for entry. In May, just 1,700 tourists visited the island with one day recording just 11 arrivals

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) is looking at issuing vaccine passports, for international travel

The Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) has restarted its 50% subsidy for domestic tourists’ RT-PCR tests, cutting the cost for a nasal swab to 1,900 PHP. The subsidy will be extended until 31 Dec, and can be used by 13,333 more tourists

The WTTC showed that the tourism industry contributed just $37 billion USD to the Philippines’ economy in 2020, with a drop to GDP contribution of 41.4%. They estimated that 2 million Philippine tourism workers were made redundant in 2020

The travel moratorium between Iloilo City and Negros Occidental has been sought to be extended until 15 Jun

Cebu province will continue to promote their Suroy-Suroy packages to NCR Plus residents, which were launched just prior to NCR Plus going under stricter lockdown

Cebu is waiting to hear if its policy on testing arriving residents and Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) should be used in other parts of the country

The DOH has said that the number of deaths between Mar-May account for 30% of all deaths recorded during the pandemic

The daily number of cases crossed the 7,000 mark once more on 3 Jun

The Bureau of Immigration is supporting the DOT’s proposal for a green lane for vaccinated international travellers to enter the Philippines as it will “not only resuscitate our tourism industry, it will also generate employment”

A travel pass/ authority is no longer needed for NCR Plus travellers

Enchanted Kingdom, an outdoor amusement park, will reopen on 5 Jun at 30% capacity for its outdoor rides

The IATF is looking at introducing “express green lanes” for vaccinated investors, which would allow no quarantine, as they would have fixed itineraries and would be easily tracked

The Bureau of Immigration has announced that travellers from Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Oman and UAE are not permitted to enter the Philippines until 15 Jun. They also reminded the public that tourists are still not permitted

The Philippines should receive 9 million doses of vaccines in June, coming from Sinovac, Pfizer, Moderna, Sputnik V and AstraZeneca

The government is also thinking of including domestic travel in the use of vaccine passports

NCR Plus travellers to other parts of the Philippines will need to take RT-PCR tests before domestic travel, regardless of whether they are vaccinated

NCR Plus residents below 18 years old and above 65 years old are also permitted to travel to MGCQ areas, so long as they have swab tests prior

Local Government Units (LGUs) under GCQ can seek permission from the DOT to be able to open to NCR Plus travellers

The GCQ status of NCR Plus is with “heightened restrictions”

The Philippines’ economy can fully reopen once 50% of the country’s population has been vaccinated

The Philippines’ MICE Roadmap 2030 will be updated, reassessing targets

Indoor dining, MICE and outdoor tourism attractions are now allowed to operate at 30% capacity in GCQ with restriction areas, whilst those in GCQ areas are permitted up to 50%

MICE events will be permitted in GCQ areas with a 30% capacity restriction, whilst social events are permitted up to 10% of capacity

Travellers from NCR Plus will be permitted to travel to areas under MGCQ from 1 Jun

The GCQ status for Metro Manila and 4 neighbouring provinces “NCR Plus” has been extended until 15 Jun. Indoor sports and tourist attractions will remain restricted. Certain other areas of the country, such as Baguio City and Davao City, will also be under GCQ, whilst Puerto Princesa will be under MECQ. Other areas will be under MGCQ from 1-30 Jun

Bulacan has reopened 150 of its 300 resorts, but are only permitted to operate at 30% capacity

Davao City and Samal Island have implemented lockdowns as cases climbed. Samal have suspended the operations of all resorts from 1-14 Jun, with 130 resorts affected

50,000 Sputnik V doses arrived into the Philippines on 30 May

Zambales has approved the use of saliva testing for tourists visiting the province

From Jun, tourist sites in Baguio and Benguet will open to tourists from areas under MGCQ

The DOT has started to accredit Airbnb properties on the platform, which allows them to collect taxes. So far, they’ve accredited around 10% of the properties listed

An Airbnb report has shown that 62% of guests stayed in listings with their family in 2020

The validity of the Bayanihan Act 2 funds have been extended until 30 Jun 2021

The Lapu-Lapu City mayor has welcomed the proposal for international tourists to enter the Philippines

The hybrid 2021 Adventure Travel Conference and Mart (ATCM) of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) was held in Clark, and attended by 300 participants with 61 on site

Only 8 of 60 resorts were operating in Zambales and permitted to accept guests from other provinces, despite the province starting to accept tourists from 28 May. Resort owners have said that the process for reopening to tourists is long and complicated, and the need for an RT-PCR test adds to the cost for family travel. They said that reopening “is supposed to bring hope that we will finally be able to recover, but in truth, it does the opposite. It has become a grim reminder of the struggle we have been enduring as tourism stakeholders and how it likely won’t be getting better for the rest of the year”

Philippines confirmed its second highest case numbers in May, at 8,748

Hotels which are accredited for staycations by the DOT will now be able to operate fully, and do not need COVID-19 test results from guests to stay. Accommodation without the accreditation in GCQ areas will be able to accept tourists for leisure purposes, but only up to 30% of their capacity

Iloilo province’s local food is being documented by the provincial tourism office as part of the national ‘Kain Na’ campaign which highlights Filipino cuisine

Airlines have warmly greeted the DOT’s idea of a green lane for vaccinated international travellers. Philippine Airlines suggested that travellers from countries “with more favourable epidemiological situations” should be welcomed, whilst Cebu Pacific said that it is a “good initiative” which need to have “proper protocols” in place. The Tourism Congress of the Philippines noted that there should be continuous efforts to promote the Philippines to international markets, and that they had started to received more travel requests for Q1 2022 from US and European travellers

Boracay has reported more deaths from suicide in 2020 than from COVID-19, and called for more priority for tourism workers in the vaccination program. Its arrivals from 1-23 May were just 1,311

The DOT has proposed a shorter quarantine of 7 days rather than 10 days for vaccinated travellers

Metro Manila will keep its curfew of 10pm-4am

The number of cases is now half of April’s peak, but they are increasing in areas outside of NCR Plus, mainly in Visayas and Mindanao

Metro Manila mayors will allow religious gatherings at 50% of venue capacity

April international arrivals fell to just 6,036, the lowest in 9 months, but up 6X YoY. One in every 4 arrivals in Apr came from either the US (911) or Japan (824)

The DOT will hold a culinary event, Flavors of Pampanga: Manyaman! to highlight the cuisine of Central Luzon, particularly Pampanga. It is also planning a Filipino-Spanish food fair

The DOT is looking at limiting the number of tourists to particular destinations to allow natural attractions to regenerate, and is now valuing managing destinations, rather than simply marketing them

The DOT has given 3.06 million PHP to Samar province to fund its culinary tourism project, “Secret Kitchens of Samar”. The project will run from Jun-Dec and is part of the Spark Samar tourism campaign

Marinduque province lost around 400 million PHP in 2020

It may be included in the DOT’s new inter-regional tourism circuit “Center for F.U.N. Tourism Circuit”, focusing on farm, food and faith in Mimaropa, Bicol and Calabarzon. They are also developing a tourism circuit for diving and marine sports

Iloilo City will close to non-essential travel from 26-31 May due to the increase in cases

The DOT hopes that travel from NCR Plus to other provinces will be permitted by 1 Jun, so long as travellers get tested

The Cebu provincial government has launched the 2nd phase of its travel fair, Lakbay Lokal, from 24-30 May. It features different products from the different localities in Cebu province

Clark registered 1,247,862 visitors in 2020, with 79,755 visitor points, exceeding the 75,000 target. As of 14 Jan, 4,351 MICE attendees participated in 177 events

Tagaytay’s Taal Vista Hotel is now accepting NCR Plus travellers

The Tourism Congress of the Philippines has said that the government is looking at extending the maximum amount of loans to tourism businesses who will keep at least 90% of their workers. The government is looking at a 2nd round of loans as a way to retain employees. The TCP also discussed extending the deadline for repayment to 5 years

The TCP has called for a non-discriminatory way to allow domestic travel for all, regardless of their vaccination status

Zambales has started to accept tourists from areas under MGCQ from 21 May, but only those between 16-65 years old

The DOT Ilocos Region has launched a tourist pass system as an integrated lace for tourists from outside the region to register

The Philippines was the only SE Asian county with a booth at FITUR in Madrid. The DOT wants to grow Spanish tourist arrivals, but the lack of direct flights may be a disadvantage

The OCTA Research Group has said that daily cases in Metro Manila has dropped by 25%, but a spike has been observed in other areas of the country

48,050 Metro Manila tourism workers have received more than 240 million PHP in cash aid via the DOT-DOLE program. The DOT estimates that 4.8 million of 5.7 million tourism workers have been affected

La Union reopened its borders to leisure travellers from other parts of the country on 22 May, setting a limit of 700 tourists per day and an age limit of between 16-65 years old

Religious gatherings are now allowed at 30% venue capacity in Metro Manila

The DOT has proposed a “green lane” for fully vaccinated international tourists, allowing leisure visits once quarantine rules are relaxed. They said, “We must keep pace with our neighbours and the rest of the world in slowly reopening our tourist destinations. We must be ready for the visitors when the whole world is ready to safely travel again.”

Ilocos Norte and La Union have launched a joint marketing campaign, I’m IN Luv to promote tourism and “spark more domestic traffic”, as well as an initial step to eventually open up the international market via Laoag International Airport

The Bureau of Immigration expects international tourists to increase over the next months, with international flights operations returning to normal before year-end

Ilocos Norte wants an ecotourism park in every village, with a grant of 200,000 PHP for the first 64 villages who have applied. 300 of 557 villages have so far applied

AirAsia Philippines has said that it supports the idea of “bubble tourism” to islands such as Panglao and Boracay, who want to allow domestic tourists to enter the destinations, including from Metro Manila

The House Deputy Speaker has called for more support for tourism workers to address unemployment

Soccsksargen received 1.3 million tourists in Q1 2021, with South Cotabato receiving the most at 400,467, followed by Sarangani at 340k. The number of visitors who stayed at least a day increased by 54% YoY, whilst the overnight tourist arrivals dropped by 59% YoY. There were 468 MICE events in Q1 2021, compared to 563 in Q1 2020

The Eastern Visayas DOT have reminded tourists to follow the health protocols

Only accommodation which has dedicated air charter services can accept point to point NCR Plus travellers. These hotels and resorts must have additional certification from the DOT. This limits the travel to resorts like El Nido Resorts Group, Amanpulo in Palawan and Balesin Island in Quezon. MICE is still not permitted in NCR Plus

The Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) will recontinue its subsidy for domestic point to point tourists from 15 May – 30 Jun

300 tourism workers in Intramuros received 5,000PHP each in cash aid

13 hotels in NCR are now open for staycations, with 5,986 rooms available

Ilocos Norte is offering free tours as part of La Milagrosa Provincial Fiesta, with entrance fees for local residents free

The Philippines has revised its forecast for its 2021 GDP down to 6-7%, from its previous 6.5-7.5%

Ormoc has closed all its tourist sites and stopped mass gatherings in the city from 14-31 May

Hotels under GCQ areas may now accept staycation bookings once more

Intramuros will reopen 2 of its sites from 17 May, Fort Santiago and Baluarte de San Diego, with limited capacity

Huawei have signed an MoU with the DOT to promote tourist destinations under its Huawei Themes app. It will also offer domestic tourism vouchers to its users

New COVID-19 cases per day in the NCR area decreased by 30% over the last week, according to OCTA Research

NCR Plus will move to GCQ status from 15-31 May. Indoor dining will be permitted at 20% of capacity, outdoors 50% capacity. Religious gatherings can be attended by 10% capacity. Outdoor tourist attractions will be opened at 30% capacity, and travel in/ out of NCR Plus is permitted for “essential services”. However, entertainment such as bars, theatres, amusement parks, indoor tourist attractions and MICE venues remain closed

The Department of Health (DOH) have said that vaccine willingness amongst Filipinos has grown to 75% in Mar from 65% in Jan

The ban on Indian, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka travellers has been extended to 31 May, and expanded to Oman and UAE

The DOT is investigating gender discrimination and sexual harassment against a transgender woman at a resort on Samal Island, Davao

The Mactan-Cebu International Airport will not receive international arrivals from 14-15 May, because the 2,500 rooms used as isolation facilities for returning Filipinos were almost at full capacity

Baguio has received a Safe Travels stamp from the WTTC and the DOT

All Cebu residents arriving into Cebu from overseas will be tested once they get off the plane, in contrast to the government’s new plan of mandatory testing on the 7th day. Once they receive their test results, they will then be allowed to proceed to their final destination, without any mandatory quarantine

The Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) have urged the government to open borders for travel, saying that travel agents are now operating as online sellers, with most travel agent office closed down. They urged the government for wage subsidies, and waiving of business permit fees

The Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) has ended the cash assistance for workers. Out of the targeted 620,000 tourism workers, 354,748 had already received their assistance, and the remaining 166,276 would receive theirs soon

The Philippines economy shrunk by 4.2% in Q1, the fifth quarter in a row of decline. However, the government have said that there were signs of a rebound, with a QoQ growth of 0.3%, and they are still assuming growth of 6.5-7.5% in 2021, assuming vaccinations ramp up mid-2021

The Indian COVID-19 variant has been detected in the Philippines

Cebu City Tourism Commission have relaunched the Highland Bloom and Ecotourism project. It hopes to promote resorts and parks away from urban areas, and attract local and domestic tourists to these spots. The ecotourism products will be coordinated with travel agencies

The new “Summit and Sea Travel Experience Tourism Bubble” will not replace the Ridge to Reef travel bubble, launched in Oct and which has so far generated 40,000 tourist applications. Baguio and San Fernando will develop a common registration system for travellers, and will both need negative tests within 72 hours of entry. They plan to expand the Summit and Sea bubble to include beaches in San Juan and Bauang, as well as Baguio’s 5 adjoining towns

The US Embassy and US travel partners such as Brand USA held a webinar aimed at the Philippine travel trade

13 May has been declared a public holiday nationwide for Eid

Baguio and San Fernando in La Union will open up a “Summit and Sea Travel Experience Tourism Bubble”. This would allow FITs and groups to visit the two locations on a same-day trip or up to 5 days, with an interchange of tourists

All travellers into the Philippines must quarantine for 10 days in a hotel, followed by at home for 4 days. The mandatory test will be done on the 7th day

The AstraZeneca vaccine will resume use again

A survey of the labour force by the Philippine Statistics Authority has shown an unemployment rate of 7.1% in Mar, the lowest recorded yet during the pandemic. Feb’s rate was 8.8%. However, the agency cautioned that the numbers did not take into account the ECQ yet on the NCR Plus region

The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) has approved point-to-point air travel for leisure for NCR Plus areas to select destinations, despite being under MECQ. The DOT has said that accommodation establishments must acquire a certificate of authority to be able to operate point-to-point air travel

The cap on international arrivals at Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport has been increased to 2,000 from 1,500 for May

The DOT has called for stricter waste management protocols in tourism destinations after a coastal clean up in DOT Region 11 collected over 300kg of rubbish at Samal Island

Sarangani province will close its tourist destinations to non-residents from 8-31 May. Only essential travellers will be permitted into the province

Biliran province has closed all tourist destinations from 6 May, including to Biliran residents. It will also impose a 14-day quarantine on all arrivals

Philippine travel agents have launched the Travel Agents Pantry, which offers in-kind donations such as assorted foods, as well as toiletries and healthcare products to displaced tourism workers

Limahong has launched its Limahong Channel Tourism Centre, aimed to attract more tourists, particularly Chinese ones who can learn about early Chinese settlers to the island

The Philippine Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) has continued to market the Philippines to overseas tourism stakeholders, and plans to hold the Philippine Travel Exchange (PHITEX), as a virtual travel trade event from 19-23 Sep

The Philippines has now also banned passengers travelling from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka from 7-14 May

Boracay April visits were just 1,481

The StaySafe.ph contact tracing app will be fully used by the government, after facing initial criticism over its reliability

Cebu Governor supports Lapu-Lapu City’s plan to reopen international tourists, and would be ready to discuss with them how to implement the proposal if it is approved

The National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) has said that transitioning the NCR Plus region away from MECQ by the end of May is crucial for economic growth

The DOT has said that Philippine tourists are now seeking low-density destinations, as well as more personalised tourism offering. They see restoring traveller confidence as key, rather than massive infrastructure investments

Boracay recorded its worst arrivals month since reopening, at just 1,217 from 1-25 Apr

Borongan in Eastern Samar has reopened for tourism

: A 14.7km submarine cable project in Samal will help resorts to expand on the island, after suffering from power and water supply issues

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry have said that the government must assist tourism businesses to acquire globally recognised safety certification, especially the WTTC Safe Travels stamp. This should also include the MICE sector. They also recognised that “harmonised and eased” mobility restrictions are key

Senior citizens who have been vaccinated are calling for quarantine protocols to be relaxes for them during the pandemic. This would also encourage other senior citizens to sign up for the vaccine

465,300 tourism workers will receive cash assistance under the DOLE Assistance Program. As of 28 Apr, 325,678 have already received their allowance

The Philippines has lifted its ban on foreign nationals from entering the country, with the exception of those arriving from India. Foreigners who are now permitted to enter include those with valid visas, but they are still subject to a maximum capacity of 1,500 passenger per day

The WTTC Global Summit will be held in the Philippines as the next host

Duterte will make the final decision about reopening schools, after a Department of Education official said that the school year will start on 23 Aug

NCR Plus residents are still not permitted to travel to other areas

Indoor dine-on restaurants will be allowed to open at 10% capacity, and beauty salons at 30% capacity for areas under MECQ

The DOT has urged tourism businesses to apply for the interest free loans under the CARES for Travel program. So far, only 145 million PHP of the 6 billion PHP fund has been used

The Antique Provincial Board has requested a 5 million PHP financial aid from the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) to tarmac a road leading to a tourist attraction in Barbaza town

Tourism revenue in Western Visayas in 2020 dropped to 22.9 billion PHP from 131.4 billion PHP in 2019, with just 1.1 million visitors vs 5.8 million

Lapu-Lapu City has appealed for fully vaccinated travellers to be able to enter the city. The Presidential spokesperson has said that this could be workable, as the city has its own airport and a “bubble setup” could be in place, but the final decision will be from the National Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF)

NCR has shortened its curfew from 10pm-4am from 1 May

The ADB has said that the Philippines’ economic recovery will be fragile, with 2021 GDP to grow by 4.5%, less than its original forecast of 6.5%

NCR Plus (Metro Manila, Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna and Cavite) will remain under the MECQ until 14 May, whilst Santiago City, Quirino, Abra and Ifugao will be under MECQ until 31 May

Businesses at Burnham Park in Baguio have petitioned the government for a rent freeze, due to the lack of tourists. The Hotel and Restaurant Association of Baguio has also asked the council to suspend a property tax

Q1 2021 saw 29,393 international travellers to the Philippines, -97.9% YoY. 3,823 of these were overseas Filipinos. The US was the top source market at 5,226, then Japan (3,232), China (1,866), India (1,395), India (1,395) and Turkey (1,080)

Fitch Ratings has cut its forecast for the Philippines’ 2021 GDP to 6.3%, from its previous 6.9%

The Philippines has banned travellers from India entering from 29 Apr for the next 2 weeks

Davao’s 2020 tourism revenue dropped 93.7% YoY, to 3.4 billion PHP. 41 accommodations have suspended their operations temporarily

Boracay Island’s tour operators are starting to run low on cash reserves, and are hoping that the government will provide support. In 2020, it lost 49 billion PHP in potential tourism revenue, dropping to 9.18 billion PHP. The Boracay Foundation hope for the continuation of the “work from paradise” campaign, which allows tourists to work from the island

The Philippine Quincentennial Museum in Museo Sugbo, Cebu City has opened. It focuses on pre-colonial life

The Philippines crossed the 1 million cases mark on 26 Apr

The DOT is looking at setting up more travel bubbles for domestic travel, as well as internationally. Short-haul markets being considered include Japan and South Korea, with bubbles to Boracay, Cebu and Bohol

Taiwan has confirmed that the Philippines has been enthusiastic about establishing a travel corridor between the 2

NCR Plus could be downgraded to GCQ status from May, if more hospital beds are available, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) have said

Baguio expects more tourists now that they are permitting tourists from GCQ areas to enter, with 700 registered for visits over the weekend via the online portal

The government has said that it is “premature” to announce whether the MECQ will be extended in NCR Plus after 30 Apr

The DOT has said that travel advisories issued by overseas governments are just temporary, and as the vaccination program is rolled out, the COVID-19 situation will improve

33 more DOT accredited accommodations have been awarded the WTTC safe travels stamp, bringing the total to 40 in the country. The DOT is encouraging more tourism stakeholders to apply

Guam’s Department of Public Health and Social Services has stated that most of the recent travel-related COVID-19 cases in government quarantine facilities originated from the Philippines

The DOT wants lift travel restrictions on the NCR Plus region to be lifted, to allow travellers the chance to travel before the end of the summer season. The ban on NCR Plus travellers has impacted tourism in the rest of the country, with Boracay receiving just 970 tourists from 1-18 Apr, when in Mar it received 17,400

Philippine Airlines will trial the IATA Travel Pass on flights from Manila to Los Angeles and Manila to Singapore on selected flights in May and Jun

The DOT is looking at developing bike tourism in Davao, as well as motorbiking tourism. They are working on developing tourism activities for both Davao City and outside the city

The DOT supports the construction of temporary hospitals and medical facilities on tourism sites

The online Ilocos Norte travel fair has been extended until 19 May

The Tourism secretary has said that community pantries in tourism sites are permitted

Returning overseas Filipinos will be quarantined for just 10 days if travellers are asymptomatic the entire stay. Testing would be done on day 7 for those without symptoms

Accor has signed a 182-room hotel in Cebu, the Mercure Downtown Cebu, which should open in 2024

Cebu provincial government has now permitted swimming and sightseeing activities in waterfalls, as well as paragliding, farm tourism, theme parks and river cruises

The National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) have said that over 83 billion PHP of income has been lost due to the stricter quarantines on the NCR Plus region. They expect to see 14.7 billion PHP lost per week during the MECQ

DoubleDragon are set to start pre-selling activities for 3 new hotels in Cebu, Boracay and Libis for Hotel 101 projects

The Sambawan Island Maripipi Resort is set to open on 23 Apr, after being delayed due to Typhoon Bising

South Cotabato province saw 434,706 tourists in Q1 2021, numbers which are larger than the whole of 2020 arrivals. 2020 saw 400,511. Arrivals started to pick up from Dec 2020

Typhoon Bising hit the Bicol and Eastern Visayas regions, forcing thousands to evacuate

The WHO Philippines has said that 63% of healthcare workers in the country have received their vaccine

21 hotels in Metro Manila and Southern Tagalog are now isolation and quarantine facilities, with 2,222 rooms available

Another village in Boracay has been put under lockdown. The island overall still has restrictions in place including suspending the operation of bars and live shows in restaurants, as well as a curfew from 11pm-4am

Caohagan Island, off Mactan Island, has started to see local tourist visits

El Nido has reopened to domestic tourists, except for those from the NCR Plus area

The AstraZeneca vaccination drive will resume once more for those under 60 years old

AirAsia has partnered with the Bohol Association of Hotels Resorts, and Restaurants (BAHRR) and the Bohol Tourism Office to boost tourists to Bohol

Baguio will accept tourists once more, but only from areas under GCQ or MGCQ. It will accept just 3,000 tourists/ day

The ban on foreign nationals entering the Philippines has been extended until 30 Apr, but those with valid entry exemption documents issued prior to 22 Mar 2021 will be allowed into the country

Leyte’s most remote village is preparing agrotourism, and are planning to set up a model farm with high-value crops to attract tourists

Tourist sites in Negros Occidental will close for 2 weeks

Manila’s hospital bed occupancy rate has grown to 75%, with many private hospitals already reporting full capacity

General Santos has ordered at least 17 resorts and tourist destinations to close for violating environmental management laws

OCTA Research have said that more people are dying in Metro Manila due to COVID-19, with a large proportion of those senior citizens

El Nido has announced that it will not accept tourists, even from Palawan, until this weekend. Baguio has suspended leisure travel indefinitely with the exception for residents, and Boracay will only accept tourists from MGCQ areas. Resorts in Negros Occidental will close for 2 weeks

The government has said that it may miss its 6.5% GDP 2021 growth target this year due to the surge in virus cases and ECQ imposed

More than 355,000 tourism workers have been approved to receive the government’s cash for work program under the Bayanihan 2 Act

The Trade Secretary has estimated that 1.5 million workers lost their jobs during the ECQ. He expects 500k of these to return to work if their employers decide to reopen their businesses. Under ECQ, only those between 18-65 years old can go out. Those businesses which were restricted to skeleton staff during ECQ are now permitted at full capacity, whilst other businesses are allowed to operate at 50%, but should encourage work from home. Entertainment businesses, amusement parks, gyms, spas, and all tourist attractions are still not permitted to reopen under MECQ

All non-essential travellers from NCR Plus are banned from visiting Bicol region. Other travellers will need to show a negative RT-PCR or antigen test

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor has asked the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to consider allowing vaccinated foreign tourists to enter the city

The DOT has urged the Malay government for Boracay to tighten entry/ exit procedures for tourism workers, to prevent the spread of the virus

The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) has extended the passenger limit on Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport until 30 Apr. The passenger limit will stay at 1,500 per day

Individual outdoor activities and religious gatherings of up to 10% capacity will be permitted in MECQ areas. Other gatherings outside of residents’ homes are not permitted

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) are confident that the guidelines for the loans under the CARES for Travel program do not have to be reworked

The Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) extended the suspension of the subsidised RT-PCR tests for domestic tourists until 30 Apr

LGUs in General Santos have asked for the temporary suspension of inbound commercial flights to the airport

Passengers caught with fake COVID-19 test results could face up to 50,000 PHP in fines or a 6-month prison sentence

A Special Non-Working Holiday in Cebu City has been declared for 14 Apr, to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Christianity’s arrival in the country

The DOT will recommend that airlines adopt the IATA Travel Pass to the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) next week, a move supported by the Air Carriers Association of the Philippines (ACAP)

The Metro Manila Council will implement a curfew of 8pm-5am from 12 Apr until 30 Apr

Metro Manila, Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna and Cavite “NCR Plus” will revert to a Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) from 12-30 Apr. Malls will be allowed to reopen, restaurants can operate dine-in services at outdoor areas at 50% capacity

OCTA Research have said that the NCR Plus R-0 rate has decreased to 1.23 from 1.88 pre-ECQ

All hotels under the Philippine Hotel Owners Association (PHOA) in Metro Manila are fully booked and cannot be converted into isolation facilities

The Philippines recorded a record number of deaths on 9 Apr of 401

The Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) has reopened its dive resort in Bohol

The Western Visayas are calling for a week-long flight and travel restriction from NCR Plus, Cebu City and Davao City from 11-17 Apr. It had already implemented a ban from 4-10 Apr

A Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BPS) study has shown that the overall business confidence index has increased to 17.4% in Q1 2021, from Q4’s 10.6%. It is the highest reading since Q1 2020. Business optimism for the rest of the year also increased to 60.5% from 57.7%

Cebu City wants a special non-working holiday to be declared for 14 Apr, for the 500th anniversary of the First Baptism in the country

Non-essential travel for Baguio and La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba and Tublay towns in Benguet has been banned for 2 weeks

The DOT has appealed to Filipinos to travel locally once restrictions are lifted

4 billion PHP of the government’s 3.1 billion PHP CAMP-Tourism fund for displaced tourism workers has still not been distributed to beneficiaries

2020 GDP fell more than initially announced in January, to 9.6%, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) announced

The Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP) has said that the loan amounts released under the CARES for Travel program have so far been inadequate for the industry. The TCP suggested an increase in loanable amounts, and that companies already approved for loans are allowed to apply for additional amounts. It also urged for lenient repayment terms

The DOT has said that some travellers are using power trips to be able to enter tourist destinations, despite not following the correct entry requirements

LGUs in areas under ECQ have started to distribute financial aid to low-income residents impacted by the lockdown. Families are entitled to 1,000 PHP or in-kind assistance

Foreign parents, children and spouses of Filipino citizens cannot enter the country without them

The OCTA Research Group have said that cases in Metro Manila increased by “just 3%” between 31 Mar-6 Apr. However, the city was averaging 17% lower number of tests WoW

Just 836 tourists visited Boracay from 29 Mar-4 Apr during Holy Week, with 9/10 originating from the Western Visayas

The DOT supports the idea of adopting the IATA Travel Pass, to help safely reopen the country “when the time is right”

The IMF has estimated the Philippines’ 2021 GDP to grow by 6.9% in 2021, faster than its previous forecast of 6.6%. However, it warned of “substantial uncertainty”, with the potential for quarantines to “dampen economic activity”

Inflation continued at higher rates than in 2020, with Q1 at 4.5%, which could increase the country’s poverty threshold, meaning more Filipinos are living below the poverty line

The DOT hopes that the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) will consider the tourism sector’s success in limiting outbreaks when it comes to reopening international borders

Boracay will continue to welcome domestic tourists, despite some localities being locked down

Bicol has imposed a ban on travellers from Metro Manila and other COVID-19 spots

Doctors have called for hotels to be converted into isolation units for patients, in a bid to create space. In Metro Manila on 5 Apr, the DOH estimated that ICU beds were almost at 100% capacity, whilst healthcare beds in general were at 70-80%

Vintar in Ilocos Norte has limited its tourist activities to residents only, to stop the spread of the virus

The DOT has urged all travel providers to assist tourists who had made travel plans but needed to cancel them due to travel restrictions on NCR Plus areas

The DOT has praised the Malay government for investigating claims that a party with a tourist from Manila caused an outbreak in cases on Boracay Island. Boracay received 17,400 visitors in Mar, the highest since it reopened in Oct 2020. 9,913 were from the NCR Plus

8,000 workers have been made redundant due to the ECQ in the NCR Plus area

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) have estimated that the ECQ in NCR Plus will cost 0.8pp from economic growth, 252,000 jobs, income loss of 30 billion PHP and 102,000 more Filipinos will live below the poverty line

The government will not provide additional financial aid for the extended ECQ in NCR Plus

Bulacan experienced very low visitors over the Holy Week period, thanks to the travel restrictions imposed on the NCR Plus region. Bulacan has seen 6,000 resort workers made redundant since the start of the pandemic

A new tourist attraction, Igorot Stone Kingdom, will launch in Baguio. It hopes to open in Jun

Metro Manila and Cavite, Bulacan, Laguna and Rizal “NCR Plus” will remain under ECQ until 11 Apr, with a one week extension

Philippines reported a daily record high of 15,310 cases on 2 Apr. The number included a backlog of 3,709 cases

Department of Health data has shown that a third of hospitals in the NCR region are at a “critical level” of bed capacity

Negros Occidental are asking to be allowed to enforce testing and quarantine on entrance to the province

As of 25 Mar, the P6-billion CARES for Travel program has seen 558 loan applications, with P122 million approved

Agoda has seen no international searches from Filipinos in March 2021 or December 2020 make it to the top 30 list

Resorts in Sarangani province are fully booked for Holy Week, with many hotels fully booked too. The province from Jan-Feb has seen 186,770 arrivals in an “encouraging” sign. However, the Sarangani Bay Festival in May, a key tourist draw, will not go ahead

Cebu Province will allow Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and returning non-OFWs to no longer undergo a mandatory quarantine from 31 Mar. Instead, they will need to undergo an RT-PCR test on arrival, and pre-book a hotel room to await their results. If it is negative, they will be permitted to go home

The Philippines and the DOT have been nominated for multiple awards at the World Travel Awards 2021

Sipalay City will ban tourists without pre-booked accommodation from 31 Mar-5 Apr, including day trippers

The president of the Philippine Hospital Association has said: “What we fear has happened. Our hospitals are overrun and overwhelmed” and “We are not losing [against COVID]. We have lost already.”

Contact tracing has declined in the past few weeks, a factor behind the increase in cases, the government has said. The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) urged LGUs to use the StaySfe.PH contact tracing app for a unified system to allow efficient contact tracing

Foreign parents of Filipino citizens with valid visas are allowed to enter the Philippines, but must enter with their Filipino children

4.2 million Filipinos were unemployed in Feb 2021, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), an increase of 0.2 million vs Jan. Unemployment is now at a 16-year high of 8.8%

Negros Occidental are promoting “slow food travel” in the Philippines as a unique Western Visayas tourism product. They launched the project on 27-28 Mar at the Pop-Up Earth Market, and it is a collaboration between the province, the DOT, the Department of Agriculture and Slow Food International. They will hold virtual training sessions and map biodiversity in the region

Benguet’s attractions are still closed to tourists from other provinces

From 1-30 Apr, more areas will be under GCQ, including Cordillera Administrative region, Davao City and Batangas. The rest of the country will be under MGCQ

Boracay closed all bars and food parks on the island, after a lockdown of two subvillages from 28 Mar-10 Apr, which includes 31 hotels and resorts. The island had expected a peak of 20,000 visitors by the end of Mar before the spike in cases as by 21 Mar, it had received 16,412 visitors. However, hotels have seen a big impact from the travel restrictions for Metro Manila

Many malls in Metro Manila have closed non-essential shops

The Department of Health has said that a one-week lockdown is unlikely to stop the virus spike

More beaches in Pangasinan are closed over Holy Week

Moody’s Analytics forecast that the Philippine economy will be one of the worst performing in Southeast Asia in at least H1 2021, saying that it will be unable to capitalise on tourism if they cannot provide a safe environment

Air Carriers Association of the Philippines (Acap) have said that the government not providing support to local airlines will lead to them relying on private resources. They urged the government to focus on the role domestic carriers play in the country as drivers of economic growth and enabler of public services

Metro Manila, Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite and Laguna (NCR Plus) will be put under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), the strictest lockdown level, from 29 Mar to 4 Apr. The area will impose a curfew of 6pm-5am, and residents must stay at home except for essential trips and work in permitted industries. The government has said that it will distribute aid for those who are unable to work

Staycations in ECQ areas are not permitted, the DOT has clarified

Those industries permitted to operate under ECQ are medical care, manufacturers of medicine/ healthcare products, courier services, agricultural workers. Private essential goods and services must operate at 50%, whilst other key services are allowed to operate with a skeleton staff. Restaurants will be limited to takeaway only

The World Bank has cut its forecast for Philippines’ 2021 GDP, to 5.5% from its original 5.9% in Dec. However, it expects 6.3% growth in 2022, higher than its previous forecast of 6%

The Philippines recorded 9,838 new daily cases on 26 Mar, the highest yet

The government launched the S-PaSS (Safe, Swift and Smart Passage), an app which allows travellers to access LGU travel information and submit any required documents

Bohol has called for establishing its own international travel bubbles, with an immediate target of Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Chinese travellers

Baclaran Church’s surroundings will be declared a heritage site and tourist destination

Surigao del Norte has banned tourists from Metro Manila and its four nearby provinces

Oriental Mindoro will ban NCR Plus tourists from entering from 25 Mar-4 Apr

The Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF) is asking for a year extension of its mandate, as the creation of the Boracay Island Development Authority (Bida) is still a work in progress

Limasawa town, Southern Leyte, has banned tourists for 10 days from 22-31 Mar, to ensure that there is no overcrowding at the 500th anniversary of the First Mass in the Philippines on 31 Mar

Only urgent medical medicals are allowed travel outside of the “NCR Plus” bubble, clarifying that Balesin Island Club, which had been offering a medical treatment program, did not fall under this

Ilocos Norte has banned visitors from the NCR, Bulacan, Laguna, Cavite and Rizal from entering, but other visitors will still be permitted. Ilocos Norte welcomed its 1,000th traveller on the 19 Mar since it reopened around 5 months ago. It does not have any tourist bookings yet for Holy Week

Hotels have started to see cancellations for the Holy Week after the Metro Manila residents were barred from traveling

Gyms, spas and internet cafes will be closed for the next 2 weeks in Metro Manila, despite being permitted to be open in GCQ areas by the IATF

The Aklan governor has said that Korean tour operators are already in touch with Boracay hotels to prepare to reopen, but that is up to the government to decide this. He said that the DOT is working to set up a travel bubble which would include Korea, China and Boracay

Leisure travellers from NCR Plus have been banned from visiting Baguio. Baguio expects a drop in arrivals over Holy Week as 70% of its source market is from Metro Manila

OCTA Research have said that they do not forecast a downward trend of cases over the next 2 weeks in Metro Manila, despite the new government regulations. They estimate the R-0 is at 2.1

Masses have been suspended from 22 Mar to 4 Apr

The government has sent out mixed messages on domestic tourism in the NCR region, with the Police reminding the public that domestic tourism within the NCR Plus area is permitted, whilst the presidential spokesperson asked Filipinos to stay home, saying non-essential travel is “discouraged”

The DOT has said that it will “yield” to health concerns, despite Holy Week being “a strategic opportunity for growth in the tourism sector”

Travellers from NCR Plus will not be allowed into Boracay or the Western Visayas

Palaui Island is looking to reopen soon, with guidelines being developed for tourists

Staycation activities are permitted in the NCR Plus region

The former health secretary has blamed “unregulated” COVID-19 tests as a factor which has led to the spike in cases

Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal have been placed under GCQ in addition to Metro Manila, and cross-border travel in these provinces, as well as mass gatherings, has been banned from 22 Mar-4 Apr. Restaurants in these areas will be limited to delivery and takeout, or outdoor dining

Davao City will implement a test before travel policy for inbound travellers from 23 Mar. Pax will need an RT-PCR nasal or saliva test within 72 hours of flying

The Philippines has detected the UK, South African and Brazilian variants of the virus

The Philippines posted its second consecutive day of record highs, at 7,999 on 20 Mar

Puerto Princesa will boost tourism arrivals by organising more sports events

All Holy Week activities in Manila will be suspended

The government has said that tighter restrictions may be imposed on Metro Manila, but it would not be at the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) or Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) levels of last year

After announcing that Filipino citizens, along with international arrivals, would be restricted from entering the country from 22 Mar to 19 Apr, the government has revised its previous restriction, and will now allow the entry of all Filipino citizens. Those who are exempt from the travel ban on inbound travellers include diplomats, foreign spouses and children of Filipino citizens and emergency cases

The DOT has said that the high number of cases could “never” be attributed to the gradual reopening of domestic tourism

The Negros Occidental is looking into how domestic tourism can be fully reopened safely during a 2-day seminar

All government agencies in GCQ areas must cut their operational capacity by 30-50% from 22 Mar to 4 Apr

14 barangays in the City of Manila are under a 4-day lockdown from 22-25 Mar after the rise in cases

Museums, social events, DOT-accredited establishments (except open air tourist attractions) and cinemas will be suspended once more in GCQ areas, whilst dine-in capacity will be reduced to 50%

Capacity for religious gatherings in GCQ areas has been reduced to 30%, whilst MICE must also be limited to essential gatherings at 30% of venue capacity, but LGUs will have the discretion to increase the capacity up to 50%

Boracay has now approved the use of the saliva RT-PCR test for entry to the island. They hope that this will boost tourism arrivals

The government has clarified that minors are allowed to travel domestically with their families, including air travel

The Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines launched a 2-day hybrid event, the Tourism & Technology Forum, to help tourism businesses pivot to SMARTourism

Boracay and Baguio have seen an increase in the number of visitors. From 1-14 Mar, Boracay had 10,708 visitors, around 6,387 from Metro Manila. Baguio also saw 6,000 people enter on 13 Mar alone after the removal of mandatory tests

Intramuros will be temporarily closed once more from 15 Mar

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) has said that the Philippines’ growth target of 6.5-7.5% GDP in 2021 is achievable if vaccines are accelerated in H2

Cebu province have said that they have seen a gradual increase in bookings made through its online booking portal, particularly for weekend travel

Many popular attractions in Cordillera Administrative Region, such as the Banaue rice terraces, remain closed to tourists

The OCTA Research Group warned that cases could hit 11,000 a day by the end of Mar, with an R-0 of 2.03

ITB Berlin NOW Philippines sellers saw an interest in the Philippines still

Cebu Province has launched a caravan tour of the province, including South Adventure, Northern Escapade and staycation. All run for 3D2N and are held on weekdays. The launch of the first tour will be from 29 Mar

Metro Manila have imposed age restrictions on those permitted to leave their house again, falling between 18-65 years old

A Euromonitor report has shown that the Philippines fall in 94th place out of 99 globally for promoting sustainable tourism

The Philippines had 5,000 new infections, the highest since Aug 26

The Bohol governor has said that the tourism industry is still far from recovery. It is seeing on average 1,000 visitors per month, including local tourists. The only way that there is a fighting chance to return to normalcy is via vaccines

Cebu Province will launch Holy Week packages on 16 Mar, Suroy-Suroy Sugbo. The packages aim to fill the weekday occupancy gap

Metro Manila will implement a 2-week curfew of 10pm-5am from 15 Mar

46,000 more workers have lost their jobs in the Philippines in Feb, with the number of permanently displaced workers reaching 71,744

3 cities and provinces in Eastern Visayas have reopened to tourists, including Biliran, Southern Leyte, and Eastern Samar provinces; Catbalogan City in Samar, Tacloban City in Leyte, and Maasin in Southern Leyte

The Hundred Islands National Park is seeing on average 30-40 guests per day, with more than 200 last weekend. They have set a limit of 1,500 visitors per day

The increase in cases in Metro Manila has been faster than predicted, OCTA Research have said

More tourism stakeholders are opposing the idea of creating the Boracay Island Development Association (Bida). 17 multisectoral groups have voiced their opposition in a position paper, saying that it would duplicate and overlap with existing powers. Instead they want the continuation of the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF)

A group of governors have asked the government for permission to allow testing at the point of entry for travellers

The Philippines reported its highest number of cases since mid-Sep, 3,749

Negros Occidental have removed its requirement for domestic travellers to have an RT-PCR test – only those with influenza-like symptoms will need to be tested on arrival

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) have said that 80-90% of LGUs are complying with the unified travel protocols

Duterte has called for the economy to be reopened soon, and has “given a timetable of just weeks”

All passengers to Iloilo City will need to provide a negative test within 72 hours of the travel date

The DOT have said that the Green Corridor tourism initiative will soon be launched to link tourist destinations in Calabarzon, starting with Rizal. It will also link Antipolo, Angono, Taytay and Cainta

The DOT is working to ensure that El Nido has tourism resiliency through its Sustainable Tourism Development Project (STDP) in 2021

In 2020, Rizal recorded 7,200,454 same day tourist arrivals and 395,364 overnight tourism arrivals

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has said that it will check on reports of LGUs not allowing tourists, after the Air Carriers Association of the Philippines (ACAP) said that certain provinces such as Iloilo, Kalibo, Bacolod, Tacloban and Cagayan de Oro have refused visitors

The DOT have clarified that it is up to the LGU to require tests for domestic tourists, not the DOT. Tests are still required for Boracay, Bohol, El Nido, Coron, San Vincente (opening on 15 Mar), Puerto Princesa (opening on 15 Mar), Pangasinan (opening in Mar), La Union (opening in Mar), Siargao, Siquijor, Dumaguete, Iloilo City and Cebu City

The Hotel Resort and Restaurant Association of Cebu will launch an online campaign, I Love Cebu, slated to run for one month. Sales will be valid for one year. Occupancy in Cebu hotels is around 5-10% on weekdays, 30-50% on weekends

The Aklan governor made an advance request for 40,000 doses for tourism workers on Boracay. He believes that once Boracay is vaccinated, “we will open up Boracay to the world, not only to domestic tourists”

Ilocos Norte will allow visitors from outside Ilocos region to visit from 4 Mar, but will still require a negative test result within 72 hours of travel, or an antigen test upon arrival at the border. In 2020, it had just 7,800 visitors, far from the 4.6 mil day visitors forecast. It lost around 17 bil PHP in potential revenue in 2020, and 3,500 tourism workers were made redundant, whilst 350 accommodations permanently or temporarily closed

After cases have started to rise in Manila, several areas have been putting neighbourhoods under lockdown, but officials have warned against wholescale lockdowns to avoid more economic damage

The Philippines’ annual unemployment rate reached 10.3% in 2020, vs 2019’s 5.1%, equivalent to around 4.5 million Filipinos

A report has shown that many employers in the Philippines are anticipating raising salaries by 5.6% in 2021, lower than the actual 5.7% increase in 2020, and 6% in 2019

Puerto Galera will no longer require tests for tourists from 10 Mar. They just need to submit a health declaration form and make a booking at an accredited accommodation provider. Tourists below the age of 15 years old will also be able to enter

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BPS) believes that the Philippines will see another contraction of its GDP in Q1, before returning to growth

The Hotel Resort and Restaurant Association of Cebu have said that if low hotel occupancy rates continue, then hotels will be forced to implement more pay cuts and redundancies

Kalibo Airport anticipate the number of passengers will increase now that there has been an easing in restrictions to Aklan province

The DOT held a “Meet Israel 101” online event with the Israeli Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines to encourage travel from Israel to the Philippines

The DOT will target females aged 31-40 years old who travel in groups of 3-5 pax, 41-50 year old females who are willing to pay for travel experiences, and males 60 years and above who travel with their spouses in its latest domestic tourism campaigns, which will serve as input for its inter and intra regional circuits

The DOT hopes that all of the country will be open to domestic tourism by the end of the year

Metro Manila mayors have agreed to close cinemas and arcades once more due to the growing cases in the region

More people have registered to travel to Baguio after the easing of testing before entry to the city, with 3,000 expected to visit over the weekend

The DOT support Coron’s sustainable tourism development under the Sustainable Tourism Development Project (STDP). It will also help with technical assistance in product development, marketing and promotions

Tourists from outside the Ilocos region will be permitted to visit Pangasinan after travel restrictions were eased, removing travel authorities and medical certificates from required documents

Baguio City have removed the need for testing for arrivals to the city, something some locals are disappointed about due to the growing number of cases in the city

Bacolod City have reopened for leisure tourists from 3 Mar, but travellers will need a nasal or saliva RT-PCR test within 72 hours of departure

Bohol have scrapped the requirement for visitors to have a repeat RT-PCR test if they stay for longer than 3 days

Visitors to Cebu City will no longer require a travel authority, but they will still require an RT-PCR test

The number of cases in the National Capital Region (NCR) are 50% higher than the previous week

Lapu-Lapu City has removed all requirements to enter the city, including tests and travel authorisations

The Philippines registered over 3,000 cases on 5 Mar, the highest number since 16 Oct

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) supports the latest decision to remove testing requirements for domestic travellers, believing that it could serve as “a catalyst” not just for the tourism industry, but the whole economy

Puerto Princesa City is reopening to local domestic tourists from 1 Mar. Visitors still must submit a negative RT-PCR test result within 48 hours of travel. In 2020, 157,051 visitors came to Palawan, with 71,899 visiting Puerto Princesa City

Since the travel authority and medical certificate requirement has been removed by the IATF, Mandaue City has been receiving 50-60 enquiries per day on how to visit

Travellers to Batanes will still need to undergo a quarantine for 14 days, and it remains closed to tourists

Bicol saw 7 billion PHP of tourism revenue losses in 2020, with just 600,000 arrivals. The DOT is creating a “tourism circuit development program” to boost summer tourism, with priority sites identified as tourist-ready. 547 of the region’s 900 tourism businesses have now reopened

Newly designed Tourism Enterprise Zones (TEZs) are expected to generate 10,000 jobs and stimulate local economies, according to the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA). Some of the TEZs under development are La Jolla TEZ in Bagac, Bataan, the Boracay Gateway Project TEZ in Nabas, Aklan, and the Neo Aqua Town Center in Bulakan, Bulacan

A study from Knight Frank has shown that the number of high-net worth individuals in the Philippines has declined by 3% since 2015, but is expected to grow by 36% between 2020-2025

Cebu province is aiming to launch Holy Week tour packages to boost the domestic tourism industry. The government will partner with private tour operators and other tourism industry players

Boracay tourists still need to provide negative RT-PCR test results within 72 hours, secure a tourist QR code and have a confirmed accommodation booking. However, the authorities have said that there may be changes to these requirements soon, as they have requested changing to a saliva test

Museums and libraries in Manila have reopened

TripAdvisor has named Boracay’s White Beach and El Nido’s Nacpan Beach in the top 25 Beaches of 2021

Vaccinated travellers still must isolate themselves for 7 days at quarantine hotels, the government has clarified

Ilocos Sur will no longer be imposing quarantine for travellers, unless they exhibit symptoms. A negative RT-PCR test will still be required for entry

16,487 travellers visited Boracay in Feb, its highest numbers yet, but still -84% YoY. 10,446 of the travellers came from the National Capital Region

The school calendar has been extended in the Philippines, and will now finish on 10 Jul. Initially, it was slated to end on 11 Jun

Talisay City, Cebu, has waived the need for an RT-PCR test, travel authorisation and acceptance letter for tourists

A new Airbnb Philippines- YouGov survey, Philippines Travel Trends Survey 2021, revealed that: • 6/10 of Filipinos say family vacations are their primary reason to travel • Top considerations for choosing travel accommodation include safety protocols (64%) and affordability (61%) • 51% prefer travelling to less crowded destinations away from mass tourism hotspots • Road trips are Filipinos’ first choice post-pandemic • Beachside destinations are top of the bucketlist for 2021, with Boracay the top spot, followed by Palwan, Baguio, Siargao and Tagaytay

Cinemas and museums can reopen under GCQ areas from 1 Mar. Tourist attractions can operate at 50% capacity under GCQ areas, 75% under MGCQ, MICE events 30% under GCQ areas, 50% under MGCQ

The DOT has opened up applications for the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Safe Travels Stamp for all DOT-accredited establishments and tourism destinations

At least 50 resorts in Samal Island in Davao del Norte have been authorised to reopen

“Quarantine fatigue” could be why there is an increase in cases, the government has said

Duterte has said that he sees Philippines returning to normal in Q1/Q2 2023

The government has approved uniform travel protocols for LGUs, which do not include COVID-19 tests for travellers unless the destination LGU asks for it, nor quarantine unless they exhibit symptoms on arrival. Travel authorities from the Joint Task Force COVID Shield and health certificates would also no longer be require

Duterte has cancelled 3 public holidays from the 2021 calendar, including 2 Nov (All Soul’s Day), 24 Dec and 31 Dec

Cebu province has stood firm on their requirement which would allow domestic tourists to enter without a swab test

Metro Manila and Apayao, Baguio City, Kailinga, Mountain Province, Batangas, Tacloban City, Iligan City, Davao City and Lanao del Sur will remain under GCQ status until 31 Mar, whilst the rest of the country is under MGCQ

Metro Manila tourists who have made use of the DOT’s subsidised RT-PCR tests have mainly visited Boracay, followed by Bohol, Baguio and El Nido. In total, Baguio has seen 47,499 tourists between 1 Oct-14 Feb, Bohol 2,331 (15 Nov-19 Feb) and Siargao 2,552 (Dec-26 Feb)

Palawan LGUs are studying whether to remove the testing requirements for domestic travellers

The Department of Health in Central Visayas has recommended that Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu keep their testing requirement for inbound tourists

The DOT has launched a hybrid training program focusing on culinary tourism as part of its Leadership Excellence Series

“The Philippine Travel Survey Report: The Evolving Landscape of Domestic Travel in the Philippines” has shown that tourism businesses remain worried about insufficient funds (86%), inadequate cash flow (84%) and the loss of key employees (49%). They see the various permits required from LGUs discouraging people from travelling (42%). As of 29 December 2020, only 415 loan applications of P247.52 million had been processed from Bayanihan 2’s 6 bil PHP fund for tourism enterprises

Tourism businesses in Western Visayas and Boracay have called for saliva testing to be accepted to visit the island, given the faster testing turnaround and cheaper price. Ilocos Norte has also stated that it will relax its entry measures and tourists will not need to submit an antigen test if they had an RT-PCR test within 60 hours of arrival

The DOT has allocated 11.84 mil PHP for tourism workers in Negros Occidental, with 6.8 mil PHP disbursed already to 1,363 displaced workers

Siquijor is likely to reopen domestic tourism in Mar. Tourists would need an RT-PCR test/ rapid test, a travel authority from the home LGU, confirmed booed with a DOT accredited accommodation and an affidavit of undertaking

The Philippines recorded its highest number of cases since 17 Oct, with 2,673

The Philippines will meet for the right time to negotiate travel bubble arrangements with neighbouring countries, the DOT has said

Cebu City and Mandaue may also follow Cebu province’s policy of waiving tests for tourists entering from MGCQ areas

The DOT have reminded LGUs that they have the ‘power’ to set their own protocols, and that they aim to open up tourism with “close cooperation” with them

Lapu-Lapu City will harmonise its entry policy to that of Cebu province, removing the test requirement, so long as they are permitted their help desk back at the Mactan Cebu International Airport

The WHO has warned that removing COVID testing from domestic travel should be “carefully calibrated”

The government has said that it will extend financial aid to those LGUs under GCQ status

The San Agustin Church in Intramuros will reopen on 24 Feb

Canyoneering operators in Badian, Cebu, welcome the easing of restrictions for domestic tourists

Intramuros will now offer cashless payment options via app PayMaya as a way to avoid contact and increase safety measures

Ilocos Norte will hire tourism ambassadors, utility personnel and senior citizen guides for the summer. Senior citizens have been involved in the city’s summer tourism for the last 5 years due to their knowledge on the area

The DOT has said that Filipinos are travelling closer to home because of cost considerations, as well as testing requirements

Cebu province has waived the test requirement for incoming domestic tourists. Visitors will instead need to have a medical certificate within 7 days of arrivals, prebook accommodation and pass symptom screening on arrival

Tandag City in Surigao del Sur has asked to declare a state of calamity after severe flooding from Tropical Storm Auring

Face to face classes must wait until the government has started its vaccination drive. Duterte has said he may consider allowing schools to reopen by Aug

Aurora incurred estimated losses from tourism of 1.089 bil PHP in 2020, with receipts dropping 84.25%

Aklan officials are opposed to the bill which will allow Boracay Island to be governed by its own body, the Boracay Island Development Authority, instead of under the jurisdiction of LGUs

MICE and social events such as weddings and birthday parties, will be allowed under GCQ areas. They can only be held within restaurants or DOT-accredited accommodation or stand-alone facilities. For meetings, participants can occupy up to 50% of the capacity for up to 8 hours, with disinfection during break times. For social events, maximum venue capacity is 30% for 3 hours. The change in the rules was warmly greeted by the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has said that shifting the entire country under MGCQ would help with the different travel regulations imposed by Local Government Units (LGUs). DILG has organised a working group with LGUs to standardise regulations

51,400 people have been evacuated from southern provinces as tropical storm Dujuan (known locally as Auring) is set to make landfall between Sun eve-Mon morning

Baguio has seen around 1,800 tourists visit since moving to GCQ, making a daily average of around 360 tourists. The Panagbenga (Baguio Flower Festival) has been suspended due to its GCQ status

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has recommended that the whole country be placed under MGCQ status, and will leave it to Duterte to decide

Cebu Province has announced that they will allow domestic tourists to visit only using a medical certificate after meeting with tourism stakeholders. They will release an Executive Order next week

Ilocos Norte is hoping to have Paraiso Ti Caribquib declared an eco-adventure park, which would ensure it regular funding from the DOT

The Love is Not Tourism Philippines group’s request to allow foreigners entry to be reunited with their partners is still declines by the government

2 tourists allegedly tried to enter El Nido with falsified documents

The government has said that there has been a ‘plateau’ in new cases after the year-end holidays

Sofitel Cebu City will open in 2025, a 195-room luxury hotel

Manila’s Intramuros opened 3 of its attractions, Fort Santiago, Casa Manila Museum and Baluarte de San Diego on 17 Feb, with a limited capacity

Manila’s Intramuros opened 3 of its attractions, Fort Santiago, Casa Manila Museum and Baluarte de San Diego on 17 Feb, with a limited capacity

The Department of Education has suggested that the summer school holidays be shortened from 2 months to 2 weeks

The ASEAN-Korean Centra have launched promotions to visit the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia, using K-pop star Kim Junsu

A new online survey by the DOT and the Asian Institute of Management, “The Evolving Landscape of Domestic Travel in the Philippines: A study of travellers and tourism enterprises amidst the pandemic” has shown: • Travelling is seen as a way to keep sane • Travel behaviours and preferences have changed, creating new opportunities. Travellers prefer outdoor activities in well ventilated areas, as well as family travel • Travel protocols need to be standardised and • Travel should be personalised • Respondents aged between 31-50 are willing to spend 1,000-3,000 PHP for travel after the pandemic, whilst 60+ have a higher budget of 3,500-5,000 • For tourism businesses, cash flow is the main concern, and the main assistance required is advice, as well as marketing and promotions of tourism products

The DOT is hopeful that the Philippines will reopen to international tourists in 2021, but there is no defined timeline yet

The DOT has said that putting the whole country under MGCQ would boost the domestic tourism industry

Household spending is expected to rise in 2021 according to Fitch Solutions, as unemployment rates are decreasing

San Carlos, Kabankalan, Vallehermoso and Mabinay in Negros Occidental have opened to one another’s’ residents

The Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) is planning to finish 35 projects this year, including the rehabilitation of Club Intramuros in Manila, and Phase 2 of the Boracay Water Drainage project

The Palace backs the recommendation that all of the Philippines be put under MGCQ in Mar, after a National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) study showed that more people are suffering from poverty than COVID-19

The Taal volcano has had increased seismic activities, causing the evacuation of 60 locals

The City Garden Grand Hotel in Manila’s suspension has been reduced by 2 months

The National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) have recommended that individuals aged 5-70 years old should be allowed outside of their homes, and that pilot face-to-face classes should be started

The reopening of cinemas in Metro Manila has been pushed back to Mar

2-3 million workers may benefit from a 52 billion PHP wage subsidy scheme for MSMEs. The proposed scheme would cover a part of a worker’s salary for 3-6 months

Aklan province is making its COVID-19 measures stricter for tourism workers, including workers having to wait for a negative RT-PCR test before returning to work, and any positive workers having to be transferred to isolation centres immediately. It has also passed a resolution to accept saliva RT-PCR tests on arrival

The Department of Tourism (DOT) is hopeful that the reopening of tourism attractions in GCQ areas will help to kickstart tourism, and sees the revitalisation of the MICE sector too

The government has announced that the reopening of businesses like cinemas, museums and tourist attractions (e.g. theme parks) will be allowed under GCQ areas. MICE will also be permitted, as will limited social events at establishments accredited by the Department of Tourism (DOT). The final guidelines for these will be released on 15 Feb

A Social Weather Stations survey has shown that 69% of respondents believe that the worst is behind them, an increase from Sep’s survey which was at 47%

Religious gatherings in GCQ areas will be permitted to operate at 50%, up from the previous 30%, from 15 Feb

Cebu province is preparing to open to leisure travellers, with requirements to be finalised in the next week

Overnight tourists in Negros Occidental decreased by 73% YoY in 2020, to just 232,899 tourists. The number of day tourists also decreased from 2,241,715 to 894,072. The region has seen 19,575 displaced tourism workers apply for the 5,000 PHP cash aid as of 8 Feb

Bohol will not require tourists to undertake quarantine for 5-14 days on arrival. Instead, they will just need to present a negative RT-PCR test within 72 hours of travel, have a confirmed booking and register on a portal beforehand. They will also accept the saliva RT-PCR test to lower travel costs

Alfonso Lista in Ifugao has reopened its ecotourism activities, including bird watching and the 1,000 Steps

Bicol International Airport is almost 75% complete. Once completed, it is set to accommodate 2 million pax/ year and boost Legazpi City’s potential as a MICE destination

The DOT will focus on cultural tourism and ecotourism in the new normal as drivers for domestic tourism

Foreign arrivals in 2020 have been revised to 1.48 million tourists, down 82.05% YoY. South Korea was the highest tourist spend, followed by the USA, China and Japan. Top visitors were South Korea (338,877), the USA (211,896), China (170,432), Japan (136,664), Australia (55,330), Canada (55,273), Taiwan (48,644), India (29,014), the UK (39,980) and Germany (25,893)

Bohol has launched the Bohol Online Sale with Traveloka, where tourism businesses are offering large discounts to attract tourists

Cebu province is planning to ease restrictions on Authorised Persons Outside of Residence who are entering the province, removing the need for mandatory testing or quarantine

The government has said that many parts of the Philippines would remain under a lockdown even after the vaccination drive has started. Instead, they will wait until the vaccines’ effect starts to be seen and cases fall

Philippine Airlines and AirAsia Philippines have said that they are ready to transport the vaccines across the Philippines, with AirAsia Philippines applying for regulatory approval as a Dangerous Goods carrier

Surigao del Norte have approved the saliva RT-PCR tests instead of the usual RT-PCR test as a boarding requirement for air passengers

The government task force will discuss standardising the inter LGU travel requirements, acknowledging its difficulty and the need to standardise it

The Hotel Sales and Marketing Association (HSMA) is calling for the government to remove restrictions on events such as weddings, as they need the additional revenue which this would generate

The President’s spokesperson has said that the proposed Bayanihan III Act is not yet necessary, and he would prefer for the existing funds to run their course

The Department of Tourism NCR will conduct a training webinar series for tourism stakeholders, aimed at boosting their leadership skills and hoping to “retool, reskill and reboot” tourism workers

Pansasinan is asking for permission to reopen to leisure tourists from provinces under MGCQ. The Bolinao Business Tourism Association hopes to reopen for peak season, between Feb-May. It prefers opening to Central Luzon area tourists, In 2020, Bolinao saw just 26,000 visitors, compared to 200,489 in 2019. It was opened as part of the Ridge and Reef travel corridor, but did not see many Ilocos tourists

The total revenue from immigration fees in 2020 dropped 36.1% lower than 2019, but the Bureau of Immigration expects it to return gradually to normal in 2021

The Department of Health has said that the Philippines did not see a significant surge of infections due to year-end holidays

The government forecasts the creation of 1.4-2 million new jobs from the tax breaks and incentives that form part of the CREATE bill

Siquijor island is planning to restart its tourism soon, hoping that reopening will kickstart the island’s economy

The government has been called upon to reopen colleges and senior high schools in low-risk areas

Hotels are asking the government to permit regulated meetings and selected social events in GCQ areas

After catching 100 tourists who have tried to enter Boracay with a fake RT-PCR test, the island is looking at a resolution which will declare these travellers to be persona non grata and banned from visiting the island for 3 years. The DOT is calling for travellers to stop faking test results, or else they could face fines or even criminal charges

Baguio City hotels will be allowed to accept leisure guests, even though the city is under GCQ, the DOT have confirmed, due to the city’s stringent protocols

More foreigners with valid visas will be permitted entry to the Philippines from 16 Feb. This includes those with visas issued as of 20 Mar 2020, and are still valid at the time of entry, Special Resident and Retirees Visa. However, tourists are still not permitted into the country

The Department of Tourism welcomes the initiatives of ASEAN’s updated tourism strategy, including strengthening its competitiveness as a single tourism destination

My EG are looking to introduce an at-home saliva based test in the Philippines

Bohol will now accept the saliva RT-PCR tests for local tourists planning to visit the province, the DOT has announced. The saliva RT-PCR test has also been subsidised 50% by the DOT

The Philippines is considering ending the visa on arrival program for Chinese nationals

Just less than 5 million workers were retrenched due to the virus, with 3 million of those terminated temporarily

The Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) law, which will cut corporate income tax and streamline financial incentives, has now been ratified by Congress and awaits Duterte’s signature

The government has expanded the tourism workers eligible for the COVID-19 financial aid, including those in the informal sector. As of 2 Feb, 183,499 workers were approved beneficiaries

The government has said that the priority is to vaccinate 70 million Filipinos in 2021, and only once they see better numbers will “we start talking about tourism”

The DOT will launch its Green Corridor Initiative, to reopen Calabarzon to domestic tourism. The majority of arrivals into Calabarzon was for Laguna, around 22% of the overnights in 2020. Operational guidelines are being worked on still, but it will include a Green Card with a QR-code which will allow pre-registration and cashless transactions

Baguio City’s request to still be allowed to receive tourists whilst being under GCQ has been endorsed by the DOT, but not yet enacted upon. Baguio welcomed more than 19,000 tourists in Dec

The government’s outstanding debt has pushed its debt-to-GDP ratio to the highest in a decade

The DOT has appealed to LGUs to provide incentives or delay the collection of taxes from tourism businesses

The DOT reported that it lost around 400 billion PHP in tourism revenue in 2020, and will focus on domestic tourism in 2021

Cagbalete Island in Quezon province will reopen to tourists from 5 Feb. Visitors must book their trip at least 3 days in advance, and have an RT-PCR test 72 hours before

Cebu province’s LGUs are being urged to create more programs to attract domestic tourists, and raise awareness of their attractions and safety measures

Boracay is keeping its requirement of an RT-PCR test begore entry, after fake news that these were removed

The Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) has asked the DOT for an extension to the renewal of business permits

Joblessness eased in Nov, according to a Social Weather Stations survey, with the estimated joblessness rate at 27.3% compared to Sep’s 39.5%

Baguio is reviewing a private-public proposal to build a zoo, to diversify its tourism offering

Baguio City is not allowed to accept tourists as it is under the GCQ

11,898 tourists visited Boracay in Jan, lower than Dec’s 15,307. Tourists were for the majority from Metro Manila

Boracay will release a new executive order which will strengthen health and safety protocols on the island, after reports of several workers at resorts were positive. One potential measure may be that larger hotels will need to build their own isolation and quarantine facilities

The Socioeconomic Planning chief has said that the Philippines is unlikely to meet its growth targets unless lockdowns are eased further

The Ambassador to the USA has said that the Philippines will receive around 56 million doses from different companies by May, with 30 million from Novavax, 20 million from Moderna and 6 million from Johnson & Johnson. An agreement with Pfizer is also in progress. The government has said that it expects 1-3 million doses arriving from Sinovac in Feb

The travel ban on inbound passengers from countries with the new COVID-19 variant will be lifted from 1 Feb. Once they arrive, pax will have to stay for 7 days at government-accredited quarantine hotels, being tested on the 6th day. Foreigners with valid visas, including Balikbayans, and foreign spouses and children, are permitted to enter

Manila City government have cancelled all Chinese New Year activities

2,168km of roads have been constructed or upgraded to tourism gateways and trade corridors, as part of a plan to upgrade 4,147km from 2016 to 2021

Metro Manila, Cordillera Administrative Region, Batangas province, Tacloban City, Davao City, Davao del Norte, Lanao del Sur and Iligan City will remain under general community quarantine (GCQ) until 28 Feb. All other areas will be under the modified general community quarantine (MGCQ)

Philippine tourist visas saw a 45% drop YoY to their extensions, something the Bureau of Immigration expected given the travel restrictions

The Philippines’ GDP contracted by 8.3% in Q4, meaning its full year contraction was 9.5%, the worst drop in history for the country

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) have said that a prolonged lockdown for the economy will mean more poverty and hunger for Filipinos. They estimate that quarantines have reduced household spending by 2.2 billion PHP per day, and the Asian Development Bank has said that 1 trillion PHP will be lost in productivity if children cannot go to school

Agoda has said that couples are the dominant types of travellers for their customers so far in the Philippines

The DOT Western Visayas is calling for tourism businesses to take the financial assistance from the Bayanihan 2 act. As of 13 Jan, 10,180 displaced tourism workers have claimed the 5,000 PHP aid

The DOT is looking at Israel as an “opportunity market” for inbound travellers to the Philippines, as its visitors had quadrupled from 2011 to 2019. They plan innovative trade redevelopment and consumer activation activities

20 domestic tour operators will visit Ilocos Norte on 1-3 Feb on a fam trip to understand the new normal practices in place. The region has seen just 600 visitors since reopening in Oct 2020. 2,000 tourism workers will also take RT-PCR tests, funded by the DOT

The Philippines recorded 2,245 new cases, the highest daily number since 8 Nov

Oxford Economics group forecasts that the Philippines’ economic revival will be faster than other ASEAN countries, as it is coming from a low base, and expects growth of 7.7% in 2021 GDP

The Philippine Hotel Owners Association has said that it is saddened by news of Makati Shangri-La closing, but this was a “very uncertain business environment” to operate it, and other hotels could be at risk of temporarily shutting down, too

A hotel in Baguio has had to explain itself after a controversial celebrity party was held after photos went viral showing guests not wearing masks

Philippines is the 4th country in the world most affected by extreme weather between 2000 to 2019, Greenwatch has said

The Mayor of Malay, has reassured the public that Boracay is safe, and warned visitors against trying to visit with fake test results

An indemnity fund to compensate vaccine recipients who experience adverse side effects is in the process of being negotiated

The local transmission of the UK variant has been confirmed in Bontoc, Mountain province

Ilocos Norte will allow provincial buses from Metro Manila to enter, starting with 20 buses per day

2 Metro Manila hotels, the Joy Nostalg Hotel & Suites Manila and Grand Hyatt Hotel, have been awarded the World Travel and Tourism Council’s Safe Stamp

Saliva tests will be permitted, but should be conducted only by the Philippine Red Cross initially. They will be used as an alternative to RT-PCR tests, once the results of a validation test has come out

The Shangri-La Boracay Resort & Spa has been ordered to temporarily close for a week after mass testing showed that some of its workers tested positive, and employees did not quarantine before the test results came out, endangering guests

Nearly 50% of job losses in 2020 occurred in Q4

Passengers from countries which have detected the new variant of COVID-19 will need to undertake a 2nd RT-PCR test on day 5 of their quarantine

The Department of Foreign Affairs staff have been ordered to stop foreign travels due to waning funds

Age restrictions on those in MGCQ areas has now been modified to 10-65 years old who are allowed to leave their homes

Tourism stakeholders have called for the deferment of local tax payments, supported by Senator Binay

The DOT will fund projects for Negros Occidental, similar to the VISITA app provided to Baguio City, as well as RT-PCR tests for tourism workers

The Makati Shangri-La Hotel will temporarily close operations in Feb due to financial pressures. Its closure length was not announced

The Hilton Clark has now opened in Clark Freeport, part of a vision to make Clark as a MICE destination

BBDO Guerrero will be in charge of 2 Philippines tourism campaigns, “Domestic Tourism Welcome Back” and “The New Normal for Travelling”

Negros Occidental have instructed the provincial tourism officer to accept displaced tourism workers allowing them to benefit from the 5,000 PHO cash assistance

More than 10,000 have now died due to COVID-19

Bicol International Airport is now at 72.2% complete. Once completed, it is expected to serve 2 million pax/ year

The Department of Tourism (DOT) is looking to expand its subsidised COVID-19 tests after requests from the industry. They will look at expanding it outside of Metro Manila. The Boracay Governor has also called for removing the requirement of an RT-PCR test for incoming tourists from Western Visayas

The Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) is preparing guidelines for a new classification for COVID-free areas, which they call the “new normal”. It would be ready for the February classifications

The DOT sees diving as a way to boost tourism through increased visitors, extended stays and higher spend

Ilocos Norte tourism workers will benefit from a fund of 7 million PHP for their COVID-19 testing, covering at least 2,000 people

Local government units (LGUs) are being advised to purchase vaccines only for 50% of their population, and let the national government provide the rest

The Department of Health have said that they will probably provide a vaccine passport, as well as a data registry for all recipients. A QR code will be issued to recipients

Megawide Construction is awaiting news on its proposal to rehabilitate Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), after submitting a Motion for Reconsideration

Private sector groups are calling for lawmakers to enact the CREATE bill, which will cut corporate income tax and streamline financial incentives

City Garden Grand Hotel is still operating, despite having its accreditation suspended by the Department of Tourism (DOT) for 6 months

The Bureau of Immigration has now extended the inbound travel restrictions on 33 countries’ residents until 31 Jan, including the UK, Japan, Australia, China, France, Singapore, South Korea, Canada and the USA

Cebu City have seen cases quintuple in just 2 weeks, with the surge attributed to the holiday season

The National Economic and Development Authority have said that reasons to open up the economy outweigh those which for closure

Hungary and the UAE will now be included in the Bureau of Immigration’s ban on foreigners until 31 Jan

Hundred Islands National Park only received 93,344 tourist arrivals in 2020, -82% YoY

Tourism players are campaigning for uniform travel requirements to enable domestic tourism

The Philippines’ Department of Tourism (DOT) has said that the country is open to creating international travel bubbles with neighbouring countries, with “the main consideration of proximity”

Cebu City has limited the number of people allowed to stay in a hotel room, to avoid private gatherings

Only 77,724 workers have received the joint DOT- Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) assistance, with just 13% of allocated funds now disbursed. The Small Business Guarantee Corp. has also processed only 415 loan applications for a total of 247.52 million PHP as of 29 Dec, out of a 6 billion PHP fund. The Tourism Congress of the Philippines has blamed the poor take-up on limitations if claimants had already received funds under Bayanihan I, that the company of the displaced worker has to apply for the assistance and that tourism businesses don’t want to borrow in case they cannot repay the loan

The DOH is now finalising the list of vaccine recipients

The DOT has said that the plan to reopen Lapu-Lapu to international arrivals may not be permitted by the government due to the new variants of COVID-19

The DOT will continue to focus on domestic tourism in 2021. They will focus on product diversification, and enhancement with regional products, as well as work to standardise domestic travel protocols required

The Philippines’ international inbound arrivals were just 1,323,956 in 2020, a drop of 83.97% YoY. Tourism receipts also dropped to 81.4 billion PHP, a decline of 83.12%

The Philippines Red Cross has launched a pilot of saliva-based COVID-19 testing, which would be faster and cheaper than RT-PCR testing

Metro Manila has banned street events for the Santo Niño de Tondo and Pandacan festivals

Octa Research have seen a “clear upward trend” in cases in Metro Manila since the year-end holidays

Mastercard and Pine Labs will introduce a new installment payment scheme for both in-store and online sellers

A new road will allow tourists to vIsIt Tagoloan, Lanao del Norte, more easily, boosting growth

Cebu City declared that the Sinulog Grand Parade would be cancelled, just one week prior

91% of Filipinos in a November Social Weather Stations survey are worried about catching COVID-19, the highest yet

Retail sales are expected to be 20-30% lower than pre-pandemic levels in 2021, as consumers stay home

White Beach, Boracay and El Nido, Palawan, have placed 2nd and 9th place in Conde Nast’s Traveler’s 25 Best Island Beaches in the World: 2020 Readers’ Choice Awards

The government has said that a saliva test for COVID-19 may be approved, although the accuracy needs to be validated still

The government has said that the travel ban from certain countries may be lifted if hospitals are not overwhelmed by cases after the year-end holidays

Government agencies and local government units (LGUs) will still be able to spend the funds allocated to them in the Bayanihan 2 Act

6 more countries will be added to the list of countries and territories banned from entering the Philippines due to the detected of the new COVID-19 variant

The government is aiming to complete its vaccine procurement process for the first tranche in Jan

YouTrip, a mobile multi-currency wallet, is looking to expand into the Philippines in the next 6-12 months, in partnership with Visa. It sees a $12.4 billion USD outbound market in 2021

Spending more quality time with loved ones is what Filipinos are most looking forward to for travel in 2021, according to a new survey from Agoda. Travelling in a sustainable way is also important

Individuals who have had the COVID-19 vaccine will still need to be tested and undergo quarantine on arrival to the Philippines

42% of Filipinos believe that the economy will improve in the next 12 months, with a net optimism score of +24, classified as “high”, and a improvement from Jul’s -9, according to a Social Weather Stations Survey

Quezon City residents who want to travel outside of Metro Manila must secure health clearance from their local health centre

The Department of Tourism (DOT) has called for the City Garden Hotel in Makati, where a Philippine Airlines flight attendant was discovered dead, to explain why a New Year’s party was held in the premises when it is a quarantine hotel

Quarantine hotels in Metro Manila are running out of rooms as balikbayans are still arriving and stay longer than then the 14-day quarantine period. The Hotel Sales and Marketing Association (HSMA) has said that quarantine hotels are at 70% occupancy

The improvement of an access road to Bataan National Park is expected to increase the number of visits once it is completed in Apr 2021

Metro Manila may move to a modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) by Feb/ Mar 2021, depending on the number of cases, the Makati Mayor has said

The Department of Health has said that they will know by mid-Jan whether the holiday period has caused a spike in cases

The hand feeding of whale sharks in Oslob by the tourism industry is failing to comply with regulations to protected the endangered species, a study has shown

Manila residents returning from holidaying in the provinces wll be required to have a swab test before they are allowed home. They must stay at quarantine facilities until their test results are released, which could be within 1-2 days. The cost of testing will be borne by the government

Philippine embassies have suspended processing and issuing of visas until 15 Jan for residents from the UK, Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Hong Kong. Filipino residents in those countries will be required to undergo a 14-day quarantine on entry to the Philippines

The Philippines received just 3.5 million passengers from Jan-25 Dec 2020, down 79% YoY. Of those, 1.54 million were foreigners, whilst 2.03 million were Filipinos

The USA will now also be included in a list of countries where travel restrictions are imposed, from 3-15 Jan

DOT-accredited quarantine hotels have been reminded that they should not accept guests for leisure purposes, after some reports that quarantine hotels are offering staycation packages

More tourists have submitted fake negative test results on Boracay Island. The island also expects to finish testing 2,500 tourism workers next week

The Department of Tourism have now partnered with the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC) to subsidise 50% of the RT-PCR test costs for 11,600 tourists, bringing down the price to 750 PHP

91% of Filipinos are entering 2021 with hopes, rather than fears, according to a new Social Weather Stations survey. Last year, 96% entered 2020 with hope

Hotel occupancy rates in Metro Manila are forecast to remain below 50% in 2021, according to Colliers International Philippines

Metro Manila will remain under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) until 31 Jan, as will Isabela; Santiago City; Batangas; Iloilo City; Tacloban; Lanao Del Sur; Iligan City; Davao City; and Davao Del Norte

The Philippines will block visitors from Sabah, Malaysia, from visiting Sulu province in the Philippines after a new strain of the virus has been reported

Senators have warned the government about accepting the Sinovac vaccine as Brazilian trials have shown it to be minimum 50% effective

Duterte has cancelled his approval of the face to face education pilot due to the new, more infectious strain of COVID-19

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) will decide on the new quarantine classifications for the country on 28 Dec

A travel ban on other countries who have had community transmission from the new variant will be considered, after it imposed a ban on arrivals from the UK until mid-Jan

Pfizer has applied for emergency use authorisation in the Philippines

Boracay’s arrivals from 1-15 Dec reached 4,359, almost triple the arrivals from 1-15 Nov and 5X from 1-15 Oct. 79% arrived from Metro Manila

The Davao government has warned travellers against fake labs offering cheap tests after it appears passengers who arrived into the airport with invalid tests were scammed

Tourism workers on Boracay Island should be tested for COVID-19 from a special 10 million PHP budget, to ensure that the island remains COVID-19 free

26,972 displaced tourism workers in the Cordillera Administrative Region have been endorsed by the Department of Tourism (DOT) to receive cash assistance

The Air Carriers Association of the Philippines (ACAP) support the idea of COVID-19 passports, to help “hassle-free” travel

Antique has closed its tourism sites in Barangay Aningalan, Tubudan and La Union after an increase in locally detected cases

Metro Manila hotels are preferring to stay as quarantine hotels, as it is “not sustainable to become staycation hotels”. Staycation hotels are reaching an occupancy of just 3% on weekends, compared to 50% in quarantine hotels

The Microtel by Wyndham Baguio hotel is offering to reimburse antigen tests for guests who stay a minimum of 2 nights

10,555 workers who have been displaced from tourism-related businesses have now received a certificate of eligibility to receive their 5,000 PHP cash aid. Others are being processed

62% of Filipinos have said their quality of life has worsened over the last year in a Social Weather Stations survey. This has improved from Sep’s 82%

5,269 tourists are expected in Baguio from 20-31 Dec, with 31,418 requests received from 18-31 Dec. The highest daily arrival is 23 Dec with 843 arrivals. Pre-pandemic, the city would receive 6,000-8,000 arrivals daily

2 people were killed and hundreds had to leave flooded homes due to a storm hitting a coastal village on Lapu-Lapu Island

The Department of Tourism (DOT) has launched a domestic travel campaign, Pasko Na!, which focuses on Filipino Christmas traditions through music. They will also run a Kain Na! Christmas Cravings food and travel hybrid festival from 17-20 Dec, with webinars and a physical food tourism Christmas market

Foreign nationals who leave the Philippines will be permitted to reenter, so long as they have a valid visa, pre-booked quarantine facilities and a test on arrival

The DOT has said that there are too many travel apps from individual Local Government Units (LGUs), as well as too many different protocols, calling it “confusing and cumbersome”

Boracay tourists must wear face shields on top of face masks, except for when swimming

The government should reach its goal of testing 10 million Filipinos, by early 2021

The DOT has partnered with Food Safety and Hygiene Academy of the Philippines to provide training, sponsorship and information to tourism businesses free of charge

The Department of Health has warned that Metro Manila could see spikes of up to 4,000 cases/ day during the festive season, with risks of transmission in shopping malls and churches

The DOT has signed an MoU with the Philippine General Hospital to subsidise 50% of the costs of RT-PCR testing. To obtain the subsidy, tourists will need to register online 5 days before their departure, and submit a confirmed accommodation booking and proof of transportation. The hospital can only accommodate 100 tests per day

The Health Secretary has warned that there are already signs of a “beginning surge” of cases, and they are increasing their daily testing output

Deals with Pfizer and Moderna for vaccines are still under negotiation, with delivery likely to be delayed for a few months from the initially announced January date

The Cebu Governor supports Lapu-Lapu City government’s proposal to reopen Mactan airport to international tourists

Everyone leaving their house must wear full-coverage face shields together with face masks

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has agreed to a clinical and exposure assessment of travellers, and simplify protocols for inbound international travellers as well as interzonal domestic travellers

The number of tourists diving in the Batangas has not yet increased after 2 months of reopening. The provincial tourism administration put this down to the requirement for prebooking accommodation, as well as the cost of the test. They will now lower the price for an antigen test to 1,000 PHP

The Bureau of Immigration supports the Department of Tourism’s initiative for a global COVID-19 passport

10.9 million Filipinos have lost their jobs, had lower incomes or had working hours reduced in 2020 according to the ILO

The Hotel Sales and Marketing Association has said that some Pasay hotels are picking up bookings from balibayan (returning Filipinos), both for quarantine and staycation. Hotels are also seeing an interest in ‘managed’ buffets and takeout meals

Leisure travellers to Bohol from 15 Dec will only be permitted to move around the “Panglao island bubble”, limiting tourists from visiting attractions such as the Chocolate Hills or the Tarsier conservation. Once other parts of the province have proven that they are accredited, then the scheme may be expanded to include them too

The DOT and the Department of Labour and Employment (DOLE) have expanded the coverage of categories tourism workers who are eligible for financial assistance

48% of Filipino families rate themselves as ‘poor’ and 36% ‘borderline poor’ in a November Social Weather Stations poll. 31% also rated themselves as ‘food poor’

Face to face classes at schools will be permitted in certain areas in 2021

Duterte has certified as urgent 2 measures to extend the validity of the Bayanihan to Recover As One Act

Medical and wellness tourism are expected to bounce back ahead of others, the Department of Tourism (DOT) has said

The DOT wants uniform travel protocols to make it easier for domestic tourists. So far, 8 destinations have opened to domestic tourists: Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, Baguio City, Bohol, Boracay, Siargao, El Nido, and Coron, Palawan

The DOT will provide additional support to Zambales as it prepares to open to domestic visitors, and will fund a Visitor Management System

New Clark City’s sports complex has been named the 2019 Sports Tourism Venue of the Year

The Department of Tourism (DOT) in Central Visayas will promote Cebu and Bohol to the Vietnamese market as part of a product update

Negros Occidental have lost 1.3 billion PHP in tourism revenue in diving, adventure tours and sightseeing, and 35.5 billion PHP in foreign tourism revenue

The Tourism Congress of the Philippines has elected a new board – its president remains Jose Clemente III

The OCTA Research Group has warned of a possible increase in cases ahead of the holidays, but have added that the latest data shows that COVID-19 numbers in the country have decreased

The Department of Tourism (DOT) supports the idea of a COVID-19 passport, and will look into it to facilitate international travel

The DOT in Region 11 (Southern Mindanao) has launched a new campaign, ‘Ampang Kita’ (Let’s be careful), to encourage traveller confidence

The DOT will partner with Makati Medical Center Foundation to ensure tourism destination safety as the Philippines opens up. It had previously partnered with Boracay, donating medical equipment and training staff

The consumer confidence index grown in Q3, moving to -47.9% from -54.5% in Q2. For Q1 2021, it is at 4.3%. Business sentiment also improved, with the confidence index moving to 37.4% in Q3 from 16.8% in Q2

Cebu province may reopen its borders to Central Visayas residents, the governor has announced, and she hopes to implement it in the next 2 weeks. However, it may be one-way only, allowing Central Visayas travellers to enter Cebu, but not vice versa

A 22.6 million PHP road to a tourist site in Padre Burgos, Southern Leyte, is now finished, giving tourists easy access to a viewing deck on Anas hill

The Asian Development Bank has downgraded its forecast for the Philippines’ GDP, forecasting it to contract by 8.5% instead of 7.3% as their September estimate

The Department of Tourism (DOT) is supporting dive tourism development in Anilao and has said that the Philippine’s commission on Sports Suba Diving ins mandated to implement safety standards. They will continue to waive accreditation fees for dive establishments and professionals, subsidise dive professionals and provide an online/offline platform to promote dive packages

Bantayan Island in Cebu is free from active cases of COVID-19

The Trade and Industry Secretary hopes that unemployment in the Philippines will return to pre-COVID levels by Q1 2021, as the economy reopens

Tourism arrivals to the Philippines from Jan-Nov dropped 82.4% to just 1.32 million, with tourism receipts falling 81.5% to 81.05 billion PHP. The government anticipate there may be a lift in Dec, with the foreign children and spouses of Filipinos, as well as returning Filipinos “balikbayans” to the country

A beach party held in Batangas has been condemned by the DOT. The event saw a large number of people not maintaining social distancing or wearing masks

The Plantation Bay & Resort Spa in Cebu has issued an apology after the alleged poorly handling of a customer who had autism

Tourism businesses are still not applying for the government’s financial assistance, with just 281 loan applications received, totalling 175 million PHP, for a 6 billion PHP fund. The Tourism Congress of the Philippines has said that this is down to approved loans being for small amounts and concerns about borrowing and being unable to repay

The World Bank forecasts that 3 million Filipinos will fall into poverty in 2020, with poverty incidence increasing to 22.6% from 20.5% in 2019

Duterte wants the government to provide free testing for those who cannot afford private labs, and is looking for the funds to be able to do this by Q1/Q2 2021. Bohol will also be granted a 10 million PHP subsidy for tourist arrivals and tourism workers’ tests in 2021

Australia and China may be willing to share their excess of vaccine doses with the Philippines

Bohol will reopen to local tourists on 15 Dec, including those from Metro Manila. Travellers will need a negative test 72 hours prior to travel and pre-booked accommodation, transport and tours

5 tourists on Boracay Island were found to have submitted false COVID-19 test results

Duterte has appealed to the public to stay at home over the festive season

The vaccine will first be distributed to 24 million Filipinos, including the poor, senior citizens and health workers. Metro Manila, Metro Cebu and Davao would be given priority. Other sectoral priorities include teachers, government workers and transportation and tourism

The subsidisation of tests for tourists is “almost a done deal”

Central Visayas have lost $713 million USD in tourism revenue. The four worst subsectors hit have been accommodation, restaurants, shopping and local transport

Cebu City will relax its border control over the Christmas season, allowing people into the city to shop, do business and visit families

7,477 of 600,000 displaced tourism workers have received financial assistance from the government, a total of 37.385 million PHP, only 1.24% of the usage rate. A total of 36,466 workers have applied for the assistance, and 81,46 of those have been denied

STR have revealed that some recovery in the Philippine’s hotels are starting to be seen, with occupancy reaching up to 50%

Tourists visiting Boracay Island will now have their RT-PCR tests partly subsidised by the government. 4,154 tourists visited Boracay in Nov, 69% from Metro Manila

Tourists visiting Boracay Island will now have their RT-PCR tests partly subsidised by the government. 4,154 tourists visited Boracay in Nov, 69% from Metro Manila

The national government wants all local government units to have moved to a Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) by Q2 2021

The government is planning a wage subsidy scheme for MSMEs, as well as cash aid for the youth, which could pay up to 25-50% of wages for 3-6 months

Workshops, trainings, seminars, conferences and consumer trade shows are now permitted in areas under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) at 30% capacity

The establishment on Boracay Island which held a Halloween party which violated health protocols has been closed down

3.8 million Filipinos are unemployed as of Oct, the Philippine Statistics Agency has stated, equivalent to 8.7% unemployment rate, lower than Apr’s 17.6%, but higher than Oct 2019’s 4.6%. Accommodation and food service employment was down 33.2%

The Department of Tourism (DOT) has launched an online mystery tour, called “Where in the Philippines is Sam San Mateo”, a virtual tour that uses actual tour guides located across the country to lead the game

South Cotabato government have allocated 10 million PHP to upgrade the tourist facilities at the seven waterfalls of Lake Sebu town

The government has said that domestic travel may help to lower the unemployment rate, and are promoting places open for tourism to support job creation

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) have urged displaced tourism workers to claim financial assistance from the government

Baguio City will now accept up to 1,000 tourists per day, doubling its previous limit of 500. They are opening up to Mindanao and Visayas regions

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) now owes roughly $5 million USD to some members of the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association (HSMA) for quarantine facilities for returning overseas Filipino workers

Losses in the Philippines would exceed 10% of its GDP in 2020 and 2021, according to the Asian Development Bank

Lapu-Lapu is lobbying the COVID-19 task force to allow a travel corridor between the island and South Korea. Philippine Airlines would run the special flight, which would see tourists being confined to Lapu-Lapu City

An RT-PCR test is still required for travellers to Boracay Island, but the Department of Tourism (DOT) has said that they may allow antigen testing eventually once contact-tracing and safety protocols are in place

The DOT is considering subsidising the cost of RT-PCR tests for tourists, and will partner with the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), as they currently offer tests for 1,900 PHP, which they could further subsidise by 50% with travel vouchers

The government is aiming to vaccinate 75-80% of the Filipino population to achieve herd immunity

Sinovac Biotech and Clover Biopharmaceuticals may start Phase 3 clinical trials in the Philippines by early Dec or Jan

The public are being urged to stay at home during Christmas, and defer plans to return to their home province

Metro Manila will remain under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) for December, along with Batangas, Iloilo City, Tacloban City, Lanao del Sur, Iligan, and Davao City. The rest of the country will be under Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ)

The DOT has recognised that different requitements for tourists from different destinations is confusing to tourists, and they hope for uniform requirements across all destinations

Philippines has won the World Travel Awards “world’s leading dive destination” and Intramuros “the world’s leading tourist attraction”

The Department of Tourism (DOT) and Nissan partnered to launch the Safe Trips campaign, promoting land travel to reopened destinations. They took media and influencers on a road trip to Baguio City, hoping to encourage travellers to take road trips