Melo Villareal
Bohol Travel Requirements: Everything You Need Know
Traveling and enjoying other places to satisfy your wanderlust is still possible within the pandemic. Bohol is one of the areas that you can visit under the new normal. It is reopening for travelers starting December 15, 2020, even for tourists from General Quarantine Communities (GCQ). Bohol, being a role model for the new normal, is led by Carlito Galvez Jr, the primary authority that made it successful in fighting the Coronavirus within its vicinity. This makes it possible to access and tour the wonders of Bohol during the new normal.
Bohol is definitely worth visiting with its pristine beaches, the legendary Chocolate Hills that changes color depending on the weather. Be mystified by the color change from brown to green during rainy weather and vice versa during dry weather. Another notifiable destination is the tarsier sanctuary, the home to the native tarsiers in the Philippines’ tropical country. Be amazed by their big eyes and cuteness as you travel and tread on the hills.
To visit Bohol, here are the official Bohol Travel Requirements During Pandemic:
Fill up the forms on Bohol Website’s Online Tourist Registration.
You can fill up the forms on Bohol’s Website, the Government of Bohol’s official tourism page. You’ll be asked what event purpose you have in traveling to Bohol like weddings, birthdays, binyag, reunions, or even leisure travel. You can state whichever event you’re there for.
You need to provide your flight details, the date of your arrival and how long you’re going to stay there. You’re also going to be asked your venue, accommodation, contact details, and names depending on how many of you and your companions will travel. Lastly, the transportation service you’ll use to reach Bohol is also needed.
For more effortless transactions and registration, you can also scan their code scanner on your mobile phones.
You should definitely fill out the form as early as possible to prepare for the event you need to go to, as there are no walk-ins allowed. Strict protocols are implemented for the safety of everyone.
The necessary information and confirmation will be sent to you by the Government of Bohol via email. Additional instructions are included here to guide you on how to venture into Bohol.
Obtain a negative RT-PCR Test Result
As a tourist, you need to present a negative Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test officially given by the Department of Health in their laboratories. It’s best to submit this test result within 72 hours before your planned travel date for it to be valid. Any test submitted and taken before that time frame will be null, and you need to get your trial again. Calculating your waiting time, date of flight or transportation, and other things would be essential for your travel to have a smooth sail.
If you want to stay for more than five days, you need to repeat the RT-PCR test on your fifth day of stay in Bohol to ensure that you haven’t contracted the virus. If you have any change of mind or cancellation to your bookings or your flight, you can choose to get a swab test once you arrive in Bohol. You need to sign an oath that you will voluntarily be under strict 14-day quarantine in your hotel until the results are released.
If you plan to attend an event that means being in a crowd, you need to undergo a five-day quarantine and get the swab test again. After the negative results are given by the lab, you can go back to your hometown.
Always keep and secure your results as you need to present your documents even after your arrival. Authorities, airports, officials, and travel agencies might ask for it; make sure to always bring them and keep them close to you.
Pre-book Your Hotel, Transportation, and Tour Packages
To prepare for travel, you also need to present your chosen Hotels and tours package pre-booked forms. These accommodations must have the Ultimate Bohol Experience (UBE) certified seal and accredited by the Department of Tourism (DOT) to be valid for operation.
Also, the accommodation you’re going to stay in must have a Certificate of Authority to Operate (CAO) for it to be authorized and viable for your stay. You need to avail a tour package as traveling alone and having your own route by yourself is not allowed anymore.
You need to make sure the hotels and packages you pick have this certain accreditation to ensure your safety and travel. These pre-booked hotels and package tours are also mandatory before you can step in and travel Bohol’s borders through the airlines. You can now travel easier by flying as around two flights are available for tourists per designated schedules. The Bohol-Panglao International Airport (BPIA), the Tagbilaran City Port, and other official entries are also open for tourists under strict protocols and surveillance.
Follow the guidelines and protocols once you’re in Bohol.
Upon your arrival in Bohol, you’re going to be picked up by the transport accommodation you’ve picked and pre-booked. Meeting your friends or family relatives is not allowed as you need to be inside Bohol’s strict rules of the tourist bubble to only operate on. This is to lessen the virus’s transmission.
Like the usual pandemic safety protocols in your area, it’s no different in Bohol either. Make sure to always wear your face mask and face shield as you can’t board public transportations if you don’t have them. There’s a strict “No mask, no face shield, no entry” policy that tourists and locals alike need to adhere to and follow. When it comes to eating at your chosen restaurants and food establishments, you still need to follow the proper social distancing as you dine in Bohol.
Are you ready to have fun in Bohol? You should definitely start your adventure early by booking your hotel, flight, and tours asap!
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Also read: Bohol Fully Opens For MICE And Leisure Visitors On Dec. 15
