Gov't adviser pushes for 5-day quarantine for North America travelers

Presidential adviser for entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion on Monday urged the government to shorten the quarantine period of incoming travelers from North America to five days, adding that it would boost tourism and economy in the country.

Interviewed on Chino Gaston's "24 Oras" report, Filipino health worker from North America Gina Holganza lamented that she wanted to return to the Philippines for Christmas but could not do so because of the 10-day quarantine imposed on travelers.

"Agad-agad 10 days na mawawala sa 'yo. Kung vaccinated at negative sana wala ng quarantine. (10 days will already be gone once I return home. If I am vaccinated and negative for COVID-19, I hope there will be no more quarantine)," said Holganza.

Just like Holganza, Concepcion said it would help to reduce the quarantine days for those coming from North America, adding that longer quarantine days would be expensive for tourists.

"Malaking gastos ng turista na dumating dito  (It will be expensive for tourists to come here.)," he said.

The Department of Tourism is also pushing for the removal of quarantine days and lesser restrictions as the majority of tourism workers are already vaccinated.

To date, 258,584 tourism workers nationwide are vaccinated. Of these, 70% are working in Boracay Island.

"As long as all tourism workers facing our international tourists are vaccinated, we are proposing we are continually pushing na wala na sanang quarantine days (no more quarantine days)," said Tourism chief Bernadette Romulo-Puyat.

Subic Bay tourist workers are also seeking to allow minors and international tourists to enter their tourist destination.

But the Department of Health said they have yet to recommend the reduction of quarantine for North American travelers as 22 of the countries there are at moderate risk.—Consuelo Marquez/LDF, GMA News