Hundred Islands eyes high tourist arrivals with shift to MGCQ

ALAMINOS CITY, Pangasinan – The City Tourism Office here is hoping for increased tourist arrivals following the province’s shift to modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) starting November 1.

In an interview on Friday, City Tourism Officer Miguel Sison said the tourist arrivals at the famous Hundred Islands National Park (HINP) here are averaging at 100 to 200 visitors daily on the third and fourth week of October.

“Mostly are local tourists since we were under general community quarantine with heightened restrictions from September 8 to October 30 banning tourists from areas under enhanced community quarantine and modified enhanced community quarantine,” he said.

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) announced on Friday that Pangasinan will revert to MGCQ starting November 1.

Sison said with this new development, tourist travel from other provinces even those under higher quarantine classification will be allowed subject to compliance to requirements.

“All tourists from outside Pangasinan have to register to tarana.ph and S-pass (Safe, Swift, and Secure passage) travel management system. For those from alert level 3 areas, we will require a negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test or rapid antigen test taken 72 hours before traveling as a requirement or their vaccination card in lieu of the RT-PCR test,” he said.

While for residents of Pangasinan, they just need to present a valid identification card or proof of residence, he added.

Sison said overnight in the guest houses in the HINP is also available now while the “No Movement Day” every Sunday in the city was already lifted.

The island has four available guest houses as some were under renovation; three are at the Quezon Island and one at the Mayor’s Island.

Among the newest attraction at the HINP is the view deck located at Ramos Island where one can enjoy the entire view of the tourist spot.

Sison assured that most of the workers at the HINP and the tourism office of the city were already vaccinated.

“It is for the protection of the workers and the tourists as well,” he added.