Tourists, Here’s What You Need To Visit Puerto Princesa City

As one of the most Philippine tourist spots, Puerto Princesa City in Palawan is a tourist’s haven. It is also home to beautiful landscapes in the form of beaches, rock formations, mountains, and greeneries. Puerto Princesa City is also the home of the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the top Philippine tourist attractions.

But since the start of the quarantine, Puerto Princesa closed its doors to tourists, affecting the livelihood of many residents. Since COVID-19 safety protocols and travel restrictions have been eased by the national Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), including Puerto Princesa City travel requirements, the city has now begun accepting domestic travels again. Read on to learn more about Puerto Princesa City travel requirements.

Tourist attractions in Puerto Princesa City reopened last March 1. As the popular spot began accepting tourists, the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the local IATF of Palawan also enforced standard safety and health protocols.

According to the local IATF, tourists are no longer required to undergo quarantine unless they show symptoms of COVID-19 like cough, fever, and flu. However, as part of the travel requirements in Puerto Princesa City, tourists are still required to take an RT-PCR test within 48 hours of their trip. The RT-PCR test must be from any Department of Health (DOH) accredited hospital or facility and results must be emailed directly to the Puerto Princesa’s incident management team (IMT). Test results are needed since reports from the city’s IMT show that the majority of Puerto Princesa City’s cases are asymptomatic.

To continue enjoying the tourist destinations in Puerto Princesa City, tourists will also need to undergo antigen tests on their third and seventh days, the cost of which they shall have to shoulder. The IMT will also require guests to fill out a Puerto Princesa City Inbound Traveller form, which will ask for their full details and their travel information.

Along with the negative test results, tourists must also have a confirmed booking at any DOT-accredited accommodation establishment. Trip itineraries should also be booked from accredited travel agencies. Tourists are also required to download the StaySafe.Ph app since it is used in all establishments in the city.

Puerto Princesa City is the latest popular Palawan spot that reopened to all domestic tourists. It was initially reopened in December but for Palawan locals only. El Nido reopened in November 2020, while Coron reopened in December. As of March 12, the total confirmed cases in Puerto Princesa is 206, of which 6 are active cases, 201 are recoveries, and 2 are deaths.

Interested in visiting a tourist spot near Puerto Princesa City or just learning about the travel restrictions in Puerto Princesa City? Go to Yoorekka!