PHOTO COURTESY OF DOT/ MANILA BULLETIN The coastal town of Dauin recently got an approval from the Negros Oriental Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (NOIATF-EID) to reopen their diving industry by adopting the tourism bubble concept.
The Apo Island in Dauin, home to majority of the 650 documented species of fish and over 400 species of corals, provided major contribution to the country’s recent achievement of bagging the “Best Diving Area, Overseas” award in the 2020 Marine Diving Awards in held in Japan.
For the area to be allowed to reopen the diving industry, the standard travel protocols must be adopted which include the COVID-19 test-before-travel or test-upon-arrival options, the validity of the required COVID-19 test, confirmed hotel reservation with a DOT-accredited accommodation establishment, confirmed round-trip plane tickets, and tour itinerary with a tour operator accredited by the Department of Tourism.