Leisure travel from the National Capital Region (NCR) to areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) and modified GCQ (MGCQ) are allowed subject to local government guidelines from September 16 to 30.

This, after NCR was placed under Alert Level 4 in the pilot Covid-19 alert levels system.

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said leisure travel may resume in these areas and only “if LGU allows” as she cited some specific restrictions by the likes of Baguio that is under GCQ and Batanes already under MGCQ.

“(Travel is allowed in) GCQ to MGCQ and if LGU allows. Some LGUs are already under MGCQ but do not allow yet,” she said in Filipino.

NCR residents below 18 and over 65 years old, on the other hand, are not yet permitted to leave their residences for the purpose of leisure travel following alert level 4 guidelines.

“Travelers will also be subject to reasonable restrictions based on age and comorbidities as may be determined by their respective LGU and the reasonable regulations of their destination’s LGU,” DOT said in a statement.

Areas under the stricter modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) and GCQ with heightened restrictions from Sept. 8 to 30 are as follows:

MECQ: Apayao; Bataan; Bulacan; Cavite; Rizal; Laguna; Iloilo Province; Iloilo City; Lucena City; and
Cagayan de Oro City.

GCQ with heightened restrictions: Ilocos Sur; Ilocos Norte; Cagayan; Pangasinan; Quezon; Batangas; Antique
Capiz; Cebu Province; Lapu-Lapu City; Negros Oriental;
Naga City; Bacolod City; Zambaonga del Sur; Misamis Oriental; Davao City; Davao del Norte; Davao de Oro
Davao Occidental; and Butuan City.

Baguio was placed under GCQ but non-essential travel to the city has been suspended from September 3 to 19 while Batanes, under MGCQ, deferred from accepting tourists from other provinces for the meantime.

The national government piloted the Covid-19 alert levels system in NCR that was declared Alert Level 4 from Sept. 16 to 30.

Based on the guidelines, “intrazonal and interzonal travel for persons not otherwise required to remain at their residences” is allowed “subject to the reasonable regulations of the LGU of destination” on this level.

Outdoor or al fresco dine-in are also permitted at 30 percent venue capacity while indoor dine-in will be allowed at 10 percent only for fully-vaccinated individuals.

Meanwhile, staycations, indoor visitor or tourist attractions, and indoor venues for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions (MICE) are prohibited under Alert Level 4.

Romulo-Puyat said the high inoculation rate among tourism workers from hotels will make dining in their restaurants safer.

“The good news is that 99 percent of tourism workers employed in hotels across Metro Manila have been vaccinated,” she said.

“All in all, tourism workers in NCR, including those in DOT-accredited restaurants recorded a 94 percent vaccination rate. This is an added assurance, not only to the safety of our guests, but our tourism workers as well,” she added.