The tourism-dependent municipality of Coron, Palawan is giving itself a grade of seven out of 10 once it reopens on November 15 as there are still other challenges and services that need to be addressed and improved.
At present, 39.06 percent of its entire population is completely inoculated.
As Coron gears up to welcome tourists once more, Department of Tourism (DOT)-Mimaropa Region recently held a product audit in the municipality to regain the confidence of the tourism industry, assess the standards of health and safety measures being implemented in Coron’s tourism destinations in preparation for its reopening, and conduct a dialogue between the invited national tour operators and the local government unit (LGU) of Coron.
Presenting the tourism report and preparations for Coron’s reopening, Kim Ablana, municipal senior tourism operations officer, said Coron has a low number of confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases. Also, 15,747 resident adults are now fully vaccinated.
Due to the ongoing crisis, 7,778 tourism workers were displaced, comprising boat operator and crew (1,077), accommodation staff (2,599), restaurant staff (375), diving sector (350), wellness and massage staff (127), tour guides (917), travel and tour operators (525), tricycle operators and drivers (1,500), van drivers and operator (188), and souvenir shops (120).
To help them, the DOT and the Department of Labor and Employment signed a joint memorandum circular to provide financial assistance and a cash-for-work program to displaced workers in the tourism sector.
“These are directly engaged in tourism, and we have not yet included those who work in the wet market, handicrafts and airlines, among others,” Ablana said.
With the help of the DOT, the municipality was able to vaccinate 97 percent of its tourism workers.
Coron was set to reopen for domestic tourism last August 1 had the National Capital Region not been locked down.
The municipality is under general community quarantine until November 30, 2021. All licensed and DOT-accredited enterprises will be able to participate during the reopening.
In the reopening, only fully vaccinated tourists are allowed. Minors should be accompanied by fully vaccinated parents, legal guardians and elder siblings.
The entry to the quaint town shall be governed by a registration and validation process, through the S-PASS to be administered by the EOC Personnel.
Prior to departure for Coron, travelers must submit the following documents through https://s-pass.ph/ – negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test result within 48 hours if via plane and 72 hours via boat, vaccination card/ID, return tickets, travel itinerary and confirmed hotel, tour or diving booking.
Both the municipality and tour operators have agreed during the dialogue that travelers taking a plane ride must present a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test result within 72 hours prior to arrival in the municipality, but still subject for approval.
“Multiple hotel, tour or diving bookings are allowed as long as it is uploaded during S-PASS application,” Ablana said, noting that change, additional bookings on-site are not allowed as it would be a challenge to monitor tourists.
Should there be instances that an activity is cancelled or extended, “this is okay as long as this group of tourists is handled by the same travel agent,” Ablana explained.
A QR-code tourist ID application must also be submitted through eoccovid19coron@gmail.com together with the required travel documents to get the certificate of coordination.
The LGU is adding more staff to accommodate the applications and the operation of the S-PASS approval will be 24 hours.
Joiner tours are allowed. All expenses that may arise in relation to COVID-19 will be shouldered by the tourist.
If travellers manifest symptoms of COVID-19 during their stay in Coron, they shall be immediately quarantined at the municipal isolation facility or any authorized similar facility-based isolation, and will be subjected to a COVID-19 confirmatory test.
All accommodations in the municipality have been mandated to have one isolation room as the health care facilities are not fully equipped for the standards of the tourism industry.
The main referral hospital is in Culion, a boat ride away from Coron.
These protocols are applicable until December 2021.
Meanwhile, the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), in partnership with the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC), informs the public that effective November 1, 2021, the cost of the RT-PCR test will be fullt subsidized (free of charge) for qualified domestic tourists.
Sangguniang Bayan member Rica Reyes-Gaw, committee chairman on tourism, said Coron is looking for ways to simplify its existing guidelines and stringent protocols so tourists can easily comply.
