Influx of tourists to Hundred Islands expected during Holy Week
ALAMINOS City, home of the famous Hundred Islands National Park, is expecting finally an influx of tourists during the Holy Week break with the recent adoption of the uniform travel protocols in the country.
Rose Aruelo, assistant city tourism officer here, said Thursday that the city government has already noted the gradual increase of visitors going to the Hundred Islands since the state task force against COVID-19 approved uniform travel protocols across all towns and cities easing the quarantine and documentary requirements.
She said the 100 Islands began receiving an average of 200 guests a day from different places while an average of 30 to 40 visitors a day go island hopping.
Aruelo said the city tourism office has been receiving several inquiries online and by phone mostly from Cavite, National Capital Region (NCR), Batangas, Laguna on how to travel to the Hundred Islands and the requirements needed during the Holy Week period.
To date, the city government requires visitors from the National Capital Region to present their swab/PCR test results .
Aruelo said more tourists are expected to arrive too once inter-regional bus operations have resumed.
“We are ready but we still have to limit the number of visitors to the Hundred Islands. Right now it is pegged at 1,500 guests in a day,” Aruelo said.
Also, only 60 of the 1,000 motorized bancas are also allowed to transport tourists to the islands. The capacity of each banca should only be 50 percent.
Meanwhile, the Department of Tourism (DOT) accredited tour guides in the city have undergone a two-day refresher course on March 10 and 11 in preparation for the full re-opening of the Hundred Islands National Park and the Pangasinan tourism industry.
The training, divided into lecture and familiarization tour to the famous tourist attractions in the city, was undertaken by the City Tourism Office led by Miguel Sison in cooperation with DOT- accredited trainor Monica Labaupa and Park Maintenance Gen. Foreman Reynaldo Livara Jr. who is also one of the top tour guides in the city.
The project is part of Mayor Arth Bryan Celeste’s program to help various sectors in the city to recover from the economic downturn due to the pandemic. (Eva Visperas)
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