The Long Wait is Over: Coron Palawan Finally Opens and It’s Ready to Welcome Visitor

The Department of Tourism welcomes this week’s reopening of Coron, Palawan to visitors, as it will help bring back the island’s missing employment.

As more hotels and resorts are allowed to welcome tourists beginning today, El Nido, also in Palawan, is entering the second step of its phased reopening.

Here, Coron is enabling local visitors, aged 15 to 65, to access the island beginning tomorrow, Dec. 1, under a test-before-travel scheme.

Known for the famous Twin Lagoon, due to its World War II wreck diving spots, stunning rock formations, and amazingly clean waters, such as those found in Kayangan Lake, Coron has emerged as a common site in Palawan. Tourists will take a rest or watch the sunset from the top of Mt. Tapyas at the Maniquit Hot Springs.

There are actually ten hotels and resorts in Coron that have been issued by the DOT with certificates of authority to operate (CAO). In view of this, Health and safety recommendations were recently released by Coron’s tourism office, forcing visitors to first receive a negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) result within 72 hours before entering the municipality.

Consequently, They must also have a DOT-certified pre-arranged reservation to run lodging facilities and tour operators as tour operators. Visitors will be issued a special QR code until registration is accepted, which will act as a pass upon entry and when in Coron. The negative RT-PCR exam, round trip fare, and confirmed booking itinerary need to be provided upon check-in.

The El Nido tourism office, on the other hand, said that there are now 22 hotels and resorts in El Nido that have received a DOT CAO. Tourists must first book their lodging at a hotel or resort with a CAO, under El Nido’s travel criteria.

Morever, Tourists will also have to book their tours with travel agents or tour operators who are DOT-accredited and have received the Local Seal of Compliance of the LGU, aside from accommodation requirements.