This Week in Palawan (May 31 to June 6, 2021)

The Puerto Princesa City LGU is waiting for the NIATF’s decision to place the city under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) after the LGU submitted its recommendation. Due to the rise in cases in the area, IATF officials have recommended a stricter lockdown. In case MECQ is implemented, families will be given financial assistance according to Incident Management Team (IMT) commander Dr. Dean Palanca. However, they will also ask for the national government’s help in financial aid since it will require a bigger budget for a two-week lockdown [1].

The Department of Tourism (DOT) unveils an inter-regional tourism circuit that includes Palawan among the priority areas that will benefit from the government’s efforts to recover the tourism industry [2]. The program will focus on boosting products from included areas and tourist spots. So far, DOT planned to have diving and marine sites in the tourism circuit—many of which can also be found in Palawan.

The travel circuit aims to develop new tourism experiences under the new normal. Along with Palawan, other provinces and areas included in the program are MIMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan), some parts of CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon), and the Bicol region due to the low or no cases of COVID-19.

Starting last May 20, the municipality of Cuyo reopened to only a limited number of travelers inbound to the area depending on Cuyo LGU’s COVID-19 testing capacity [3].

In Cuyo’s latest advisory, travelers are required to secure the following: barangay endorsement, LGU acceptance, and antigen testing on their 6th or 7th day of quarantine. Those coming from Palawan or Iloilo must submit negative antigen results that should not be more than 24 hours before travel.

As for tourists and passengers from Metro Manila, they must secure a Barangay Health Emergency Response Team (BHERT) clearance from their respective area of residence. Meanwhile, those coming from other areas must submit negative antigen results taken not more than 72 hours before the travel date.

A complete Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) form, BHERT clearance, and acceptance letter from the destination’s barangay are needed for outbound travelers.

Ordinance-makers in Puerto Princesa City Council drafted a new ordinance that proposes to institutionalize the provision of hand sanitizers in business establishments in the city. The resolution or Sanggunian Draft Ordinance (SDO) No. 223-2021 indicates the removal of glove usage in supermarkets since it’s considered a one-sided measure that only protects the cashiers. Instead of using gloves, hand sanitizers and alcohols are seen as better solutions. Majority Floor Leader Victor Oliveros—the one who proposed the measure, reiterates that sanitation tools and materials must be accessible to the public at all times as per DOH's minimum health standard guidelines [4].

The Puerto Princesa City Incident Management Team (IMT) announced they now consider positive antigen test results confirmed COVID-19 cases. The decision was derived from the NIATF’s order that includes positive antigen results as part of the tracking. Through this, any individual who will get positive antigen results does not need to avail of RT-PCR testing since GeneXpert kits can test others. Antigen will be concentrated on close contacts and asymptomatic individuals. Before two antigen tests were required to confirm cases, an individual will now be considered infected if he or she is positive on the first result.

Because of this, cases of COVID-19 in Palawan might increase in the following weeks since they now include antigen test results [5].