No violation in Cebu’s policy for tourists: DILG

CEBU CITY – Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III said on Thursday there is no violation in Governor Gwendolyn Garcia’s order allowing tourists to only present a medical certificate in entering Cebu.

Densing, in a virtual interview with reporters, said it is “well within her bounds” to release such order.

He said the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu can follow the move of the provincial government requiring only a medical certificate for tourists.

Cebu’s tri-cities, he added, need to issue their respective executive orders to align their guidelines with those of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) with regard to the entry of local tourists.

These executive orders should be submitted to the DILG for review, he said.

Densing said the policy of only requiring a medical certificate from travelers does not run contrary to the national guidelines.

Executive Order 12 signed by Gov. Garcia on Feb. 22, eases the requirements for travelers entering the island.

The EO is a major policy breakthrough being the first local initiative to encourage tourism activity in order for the economy to recover from the effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

All the tourists need to prepare are a valid medical certificate issued within seven days before the travel date and proof of booking at a hotel or resort accredited by the Cebu Provincial Tourism Task Force.

They must also pass through symptoms checking at the point of departure and point of arrival.

A memorandum will also be issued to all mayors here on the check-in requirements of tourists in their respective hotels and resorts.

The tourists must pre-book their stay through the Capitol’s online tourism portal and present their medical certificate upon check-in.

Since mid-2020, the governor has been pushing for the reopening of the province’s tourism industry to bring back the livelihood of Cebuanos adversely affected by the pandemic while maintaining the minimum health protocols.