‘Safe Travels With DOT’: How To Safely Travel Around The Philippines

After months of getting deprived of travel, many of us are itching to get some sun, sea, and nature. And the good news is that many parts of the Philippines are now slowly opening up to resume travel and tourism, in a bid to restart the economy that has been hard hit by the pandemic.

Tourism has been a huge chunk of the Philippine economy, with more than 4.8 million jobs affected when Covid-19 struck. This is why as many sectors slowly resume their operations, the tourism sector is also trying to reinvent themselves to start operating amidst the new protocols required in this new normal.

If you’re still unsure about traveling given the risk of Covid-19, the Department of Tourism (DOT) is assuring everyone that only the best practices are being implemented throughout the Philippines to restart the tourism economy safely for both locals and tourists.

To give us an idea of what travel is like in the new normal, Marc Nelson sits down with DOT Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat for a Metro Channel special titled Safe Travels with DOT. The show talks about what DOT is doing and has done to ensure that establishments who are reopening are safe for both locals and tourists, and hopes to inspire more confidence in travelers to start getting out of their homes.

Traveling safely

“You cannot open unless you’re accredited by the DOT,” says Secretary Puyat about establishments who want to reopen to tourists. To be accredited, all establishments have to undergo several DOT trainings—which are free of charge—and follow strict health and safety guidelines set by the Department of Health (DOH) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Some of the most crucial developments that the DOT are implementing are dedicated health facilities, response training when they encounter someone with symptoms or a positive RT-PCR test, free digital apps for contact tracing, and contactless payment.

To convince locals to accept tourists and to inspire more confidence in travelers, Secretary Puyat highlights that the Philippines has now received the Safe Travels stamp from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), one of the biggest global organizations that aim to promote the inclusive and sustainable growth potential of the travel and tourism sector. The Safe Travels certification is a stamp of approval from the WTTC, signifying that the country has adopted global standardized protocols so that travelers can experience “Safe Travels.”

“Our country is so beautiful. Every time you travel, it’s not only good for you and your family, but you also help so many people. We believe we can restart tourism safely as long as you follow minimum health and safety guidelines,” says Secretary Puyat.

To find out more about how DOT is jumpstarting tourism and how establishments in Baguio, Ilocos, and Palawan are safely reopening their doors to travelers, watch Safe Travels with DOT, premiering next month on Metro Channel, Metro.Style’s Youtube Channel, and iWant TFC.