El Nido, Palawan to reopen on October 30 with test-before-travel policy

The world-renowned El Nido, Palawan in the Philippines will ease travel restrictions starting October 30 and will allow tourists to enter the island with test-before-travel policy.

In order to travel to Palawan, tourists must undergo RT-PCR test and get negative results at least 72 hours before the trip. Official details on the travel protocols will be released soon by the country's department of tourism (DOT).

"The tourism industry's reopening is gradually building momentum, especially after the news about the re-opening of Boracay and the Ridge and Reef travel bubble between Baguio and the provinces of Region 1," DOT secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said.

"Considering that Palawan's El Nido has been consistently voted as the world's best island, I would also like El Nido to be seen as part of the industry's rebirth."

Puyat noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has cost El Nido P3.2 billion worth of visitor receipts, and displaced 5,997 of its tourism workers.

Since July, when the Philippine government started to ease travel restrictions in some regions, Puyat has visited El Nido to conduct inspections on travel companies to ensure their compliance to the health and safety guidelines provided by the department in order to fast track the reopening of the island for tourism.

"There are nine establishments for now that have obtained a Certificate of Authority to Operate (CAO) and 27 establishments with Provisional Certificate of Authority to Operate (PCAO) from the DOT and which may start accommodating guests," DOT said.

Due to limited international travel, DOT champions domestic tourism with its slow-but-sure strategy.