Traveling for leisure within the NCR Plus areas is now allowed

Residents in Metro Manila and nearby provinces and cities may now travel to other neighboring regions under Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ). 

Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) secretary, Berna Romulo-Puyat announced on June 1, 2021, that the IATF will be allowing trips between NCR Plus areas on the lowest quarantine status. Citizens of all ages can travel for leisure purposes including children. This development will hopefully revive local tourism. 

However, the resolution is not without some protocols, as individuals under 18 and over 65 years old are required to take a COVID-19 test and present a test result form. Individuals between the ages of 18 and 65 must show a COVID-19 test result as well if required by the local governments. 

As for the types of tests to be conducted, the IATF did not make any recommendations as to what test result will be required, it is likely that a swab test or RT-PCR test, will be the standard test result that local governments will be looking for. 

Presidential spokesperson, Harry Roque, meanwhile, further clarified that all age groups will require COVID-19 testing prior to the trip with results in hand, and the travel must be limited to point-to-point trips only. 

That being said, a test-before-travel requirement is there in lieu of the IATF lifting the age restriction requirement. The leisure trip must also be point-to-point, meaning to limit exposure to multiple areas around the NCR Plus regions, tourists must only have one destination in their itinerary, then head back to their homes following the trip. 

The areas in the NCR Plus include Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal provinces. From June 1 to June 15, 2021, these areas will be placed under General Community Quarantine.