This Week in Palawan (September 14 to 20, 2020)

Due to the increase of COVID-19 in the area, several municipalities in the Calamian Islands—Busuanga, Coron, Culion, and Linapacan—are planning on implementing targeted lockdowns [1]. Busuanga previously imposed a two-day lockdown from September 7 to 9 to facilitate contact tracing after the town recorded its first COVID-19 death caused by local transmission [2] Busuanga Information Officer Jonathan Dabuit stated that the first local transmission involved a 63-year old male with no travel history, and the patient’s transmission source is still yet to be determined.

Community transmission is also seen as the main cause of the spike in COVID-19 cases in Coron. As of September 9, Coron recorded 11 new active cases. Due to Coron's first recorded death from local transmission, travel restrictions were also enforced going in and out of the Calamian Islands.

On the other hand, Puerto Princesa currently holds 12 active cases that involve returning travelers. The town of Roxas also declared one new case last September 2 while Brooke’s Point confirmed three new cases as of September 5 and Rizal recorded one.

Travel guide book publisher Lonely Planet listed the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park in Cagayancillo as one of the “6 national parks around the world with surprisingly spectacular diving” spots. In their article published last August 25, Lonely Planet highlighted Tubbataha’s incredible biodiversity which earned the reef its UNESCO World Heritage Site status [3]. Along with Palawan, the article also recognized Moalboal, Cebu which is known for its sardine run.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) acknowledged the inclusion of the Tubbataha reef on Lonely Planet’s list. Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said that the news is something to be proud of, particularly for the stakeholders in Palawan and Cebu. The Tubbataha Reef is about 98,828 hectares and was declared as a World Heritage Site in December 1993. Other national countries included in the list are Kenya, Greece, Iceland, Bonaire, and Tanzania [4].

Many talipapas or small temporary markets in Puerto Princesa are facing closure this year. According to the Business Permit and Licensing Office and Regulatory Enforcement Monitoring Unit (BPLO-REM), talipapas will be closed by December this year. BPLO-REM and Joint Inspection Team (JIT) Head Ma. Theresa Rodriguez also said that talipapas that are not complying with the rules will receive three notice of violations before it gets closed. The said violations are not stated [5]. BPLO-REM said that there are over 724 talipapas in 12 barangays in Puerto Princesa City that were given notice of violation last July.

Owners of online businesses can file for registration up to September 30, according to the memorandum issued by Bureau of Internal Revenue Puerto Princesa. The memo explains the extension of the deadline is due to the surge of registrants [6].

Those who have conducted online transactions are advised to register their business activity before the deadline to avoid penalty for late registration. Taxpayers are also required to declare past due taxes to prevent penalties for late filing and payment. Penalties will be imposed on businesses and taxpayers who fail to register or declare past due taxes.

Go to Yoorekka for more COVID-19 updates in Palawan.