LEISURE and non-essential visits will soon be allowed as Zamboanga City reopens for tourism in February 2021, an official announced.
City Tourism Officer Sarita Sebastian said beginning February, Zamboanga City will be accepting outside guests, tourists, and visitors subject to compliance to entry requirements and observance of minimum health and safety protocols.
Sebastian said the entry requirements for non-essential travels are: Authority to Enter, negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test undertaken at a Department of Health-accredited facility not more than three days prior departure, travel authority with a medical certificate and government-issued identified card, round-trip ticket, travel itinerary in this city, and confirmed hotel booking from list of Department of Tourism-accredited non-facility hotels.
Sebastian said another RT-PCR test will be required for guests staying in Zamboanga City for more than five days.
“If more than five days of stay here in the city, we need to require them to undergo another RT-PCR test on personal account,” Sebastian said.
Zamboanga City has been closed to tourists and non-essential travels since March 2020, following the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
The majority of this city’s tourism destinations have also remained closed to the public.
Sebastian said they are preparing to open the 11 Islands to local tourists at the end of this month.
The 11 Islands is one of Zamboanga City’s premier tourist attractions. (SunStar Zamboanga)