The City of Sipalay scrapped the requirement for non-resident tourists to submit a negative rapid nasal antigen test result to be allowed entry to the southern Negros locality.
The revised rule is provided in Executive Order 2020-050, amending Section 3 of EO 2020-048 that lifted the moratorium on non-essential and tourism-related travel to Sipalay, released by the city government on Friday afternoon.
Mayor Maria Gina Lizares said the amendment was made to accommodate the concerns of the Sipalay City Tourism Council during a joint meeting with the local Inter-Agency Task Force against Covid-19 on Wednesday.
“While an added precaution, the local IATF and the City Tourism Council have deemed the requirement of negative RNAT result (will) hamper the arrival of tourists and eventually impede the economic recovery of the city,” Lizares stated in the new directive.
Sipalay, known for white-sand beaches, crystal-clear waters, and breathtaking dive sites, was the province’s number one contributing local government unit in terms of tourist arrivals in 2019.
In the original EO 2020-048, non-resident tourists were required to secure a copy of negative RNAT result taken from a Department of Health-accredited testing facility on the day of travel to Sipalay, or from the City Health Office, which will conduct the test at the city gymnasium for a fee of P2,000 per person.
They may also present their valid reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) result in lieu of the RNAT result, a copy which they were supposed to present a copy at the checkpoint and at the accommodation establishment upon check-in.
Although the negative test result requirement was scrapped, non-resident tourists are still required to register at least three days before arrival in the City Tourism Office online registration form and upload a copy of any government-issued identification card for adults or school ID for students as well as the booking confirmation from the accommodation establishment.
Those with verified documents and information will receive an entry confirmation through email.
Aside from that, they also need to print and fill out the travel form, which should be duly signed by the barangay captain of the tourist’s point of origin.
The tourist must present the confirmation receipt emailed by the City Tourism Office and the accomplished travel form upon arrival at the border checkpoint for inspection and upon check-in in the accommodation establishment.
Non-resident tourists will be allowed to enter either through the Cartagena border or the Nabulao border.
Also, diving school students will no longer be required to submit negative RT-PCR results.- NLG
