Virgin Island is one of several favorite spots of tourists in Santa Fe town, Bantayan Island, Cebu.
CEBU CITY, Philippines – As Cebu province enters its fourth month under the most relaxed form of community quarantine, more tourism enterprises have resumed operations.
The Cebu Provincial government, as of October 21, 2020, reported that a total of 123 tourism-related establishments were permitted to reopen since September 3.
These included firms involved in canyoneering in the towns of Alegria and Badian, island hopping in Cordova, whale-shark watching in Oslob, and island hopping and diving in Moalboal.
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“The establishments have diligently complied with the basic health requirements set by the Provincial Tourism Task Force (PTTF) based on the guidelines of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) and the Provincial Ordinance enforcing tourism protocols,” the Capitol’s media arm, Sugbo News, stated.
Provincial Tourism Officer Maria Lester ‘Marti’ Ybañez said establishments who have yet to be given the go-signal to resume their operations must first secure their Certificate of Authority to Operate (CAO) and Provisional Certificate of Authority to Operate (PCAO) from the Department of Tourism (DOT).
CAO is issued to establishments after an ocular inspection has been carried out, while PCAO is for digital inspection wherein videos and pictures of the initial inspection are sent through electronic mail, the Capitol said.
In the meantime, Ybañez urged other tour operators to start processing the necessary requirements they would need before they could reopen their respective businesses.
“Atong gi-encourage nga mo-comply ang tanan kay since ming-gawas na ang ordinance on tourism protocols, mu-istrikto gyud ta kay duna ra ba’y uban moingon wala sila kahibalo,” she stressed.
(We encourage everyone to comply since we already released an ordinance that laid down tourism protocols, and we will be strictly regulating this especially since some claimed to have no knowledge about our protocols.)
Governor Gwendolyn Garcia has recently led the ceremonial relaunching of the tourism industry in Bantayan Island in northern Cebu, one of the most popular destinations among local and foreign guests here.
READ MORE: Bantayan-bound tourists told to secure bookings ahead of trip
She has also permitted senior citizens and minors to visit tourist destinations and in tourism activities following the new guidelines from the national government’s anti-coronavirus task force that lifts the age-limit of people allowed in public places.
Cebu province has been placed under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), the most relaxed form of community quarantine, since July. /dbs
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