THE CEBU Provincial Government launched four tour packages and one special package for “staycation” as it gears up towards a new and better normal even as it continues to fight the spread of the Covid-19 disease.
The four tour packages are Northern Escapade, Island Getaway, Southern Escapade A and Southern Escapade B.
The special package is also available to those who just want to chill at a resort or hotel of their choice and booking has started on March 22 through the provincial government’s tourism portal: www.discover.cebu.gov.ph.
The Northern Escapade starts in Liloan town up to the northernmost town of Daanbantayan. It offers choices to indulge in the only safari-themed park in the country located in Carmen, a bamboo forest walk in Medellin, and the blissful long stretch of shoreline in San Remigio, among others.
And the Island Getaway is a choice between Bantayan Island for its beaches and caves and Malapascua Island in Daanbantayan town for diving opportunities to get up close with thresher sharks and other mesmerizing marine sites.
While the Southern Escapade A is a tour to the eastern coastline of the province down to the southernmost tip in Santander going back up to the western coastline. This route offers visitors activities such as diving, whale shark watching, sardine run, river cruise, among other fun water activities.
Thrill seekers can also experience paragliding in Oslob and the all-terrain vehicle ride in Barili.
While the Southern Escapade B explores culture and heritage from Talisay City crossing to the western City of Toledo towards Alegria with an interesting farm tour in Lamac, Pinamungajan, renowned for its best and green practices in farming and agribusiness.
The packages cover four days and three nights and can be availed of in three categories. The rates range from P12,000 to as low as P7,500 for double occupancy. For local tourists or those from Cebu, the rate for the double occupancy is as low as P5,550. These packages are inclusive of the cost for airfare, coaster service, tour guides, meals, and tourist sites.
Travellers from around the country who want to visit Cebu no longer need to take the RT-PCR test.
Based on Governor Gwendolyn Garcia’s Executive Order Number 12, domestic tourists are only required to show a valid medical certificate issued within seven days before their date of travel. They must also undergo Covid-19 symptoms checking at the point of departure and point of arrival.
All packages also come with a travel essential kit which includes a personal air purifier, in compliance to the health guidelines stipulated in the executive order signed in July 2020.
Garcia emphasized that the packages are aimed at rejuvenating the Cebuanos’ livelihoods and boost the tourism industry and the local economy. “I hope that's attractive enough. Syaro dili ni makapabuhi pa gyud og samot sa turismo because by the way tourism is already alive and well here in the Province of Cebu. This time we are showing the rest of the country, this is the way Cebu does it, this is the way Cebu proves we are moving on and moving forward,” Garcia said.
“Last year, I said tourism is not only a leisure activity, it is an economic activity. For many, it is easy to think that the tourism industry only involves sightseeing and whaleshark watching and sardine run watching. But for every activity involved, there are thousands upon thousands of jobs and livelihoods that are given the opportunity to grow,” she added.
Garcia said when Cebu was placed on enhanced community quarantine, everything was closed and even the towns, whose main economic driver was tourism, suffered an economic catastrophe. “It cut across the entire spectrum of economic position in life. Yes, the poor and the poorest were most affected but so were those that had had a comfortable life. Why? Because not only were jobs gone, livelihoods taken away, business closed,” she said.
In reopening the tourism industry, Garcia emphasized that every decision made is well-studied and well-thought of. “Gitun-an ni nato’g maayo. I was in constant communication always with the DOH, the DOT, the DTI. Every step that we took, I did not do it alone. I consulted. I asked and got inputs from all of our regional directors. That’s why DILG always agrees with us over here in the region,” she said.
Garcia also reiterated that it is impossible to achieve zero Covid cases. She cited that the average fatality rate is only at two percent but with a 96-percent recovery rate in spite of the counts done since last year.
“How do we deal with Covid? We manage by ensuring we have adequate hospital care. We have enough hospital beds. Our critical care utilization is just at 42 percent (based on DOH 7 reports) which is below 50 percent. We deal with it,” she said.
The tour initiative is in partnership with Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific Air, and Air Asia with Cebu Tour and Transport Operators, its members and affiliated accommodation facilities, and GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation with the support of its Chief Executive Advisor, Andrew Harrison.
According to the Department of Health Central Visayas Covid-19 Case Bulletin #272 dated March 17, Cebu City has 2,812 active cases, Lapu-Lapu City with 1,087 cases and Mandaue City with 1,179 cases. (Eleanor Valeros, with additional reporting by Cebu Examiner.)
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