Green Lane Tourism Proposed For Fully Vaccinated Tourists

[DaveB]

I'm probably a lonely optimist per one of my basic personal philosophies: Common sense will always, eventually, bubble to the surface.  Admittedly, especially in government actions, it can be a frustrating and maddening wait for the obvious to smack some bureaucrats in the head.  But if you think back to the long list of stupid decisions you remember, eventually, over time, they all get eroded and sorted it.  So...I view this as the opening salvo in common sense finally bubbling up in the Philippine COVID and immigration enclaves.  Not holding my breath for a quick, brilliant solution set - but cautiously optimistic that by, say Christmas, it will occur to even the brain dead that vaccinated populations are a ready source of tourism

I got the Phizer vaccine via the VA last month.  But my wife still has no real plan or process that seems to be addressing the general need for the Philippines to vaccinate it's general population (outside chance the VA may be vaccinating dependents in the months to come).  I don't think, right now, most of the Philippines has any idea what to do with vaccinated people, because they so rarely see one they just haven't updated their travel rules to deal with it.  But the rest of world is building a vaccinated pool looking for some place to go.

[scott h]

8 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

Did they say vaccinated tourist would still need 7 day quarantine? 

Yes, I distinctly heard her say that foreign tourists and Balikbayan visitors who are fully vaccinated would ONLY have to spend 7 days in Q. But she stressed that this was only a starting point suggestion to get the wheels moving.

8 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

The real tourists the Philippines needs to kick start the economy are the international tourists who will visit the resorts and tour and spend a lot of money. 

Thats what I have been ranting about for a long time now. Not only international tourist but us local also.

There are some resorts in your area we want to go to, and our favorite in Batangas. We are looking forward to spend a week or more at a nice resort, seeing the sights, eating in restaurants, paying outrageous sums for local attractions. But I will be damned if I am going to spend money to get a stick up my nose, go through the stress of making swab reservations get the results back in time to make check in time. 

I think they are finally starting to realize that they cant survive by opening up to local tourist only. Be it bad or good, all the money is in Metro Manila.

[Joey G]

9 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

Just thinking out loud.  How is Hawaii doing?  I'll bet they get a surge of U.S. tourists soon, if not already.

It's blowing up with tourists... rentals cars going for $200+ day (no exaggeration),  worker shortage, every island concocting their own testing rules which change weekly... the saving grace... no test to "re-enter" CONUS 

[Explorer]

16 hours ago, graham59 said:

The government here need to stop insulting the usual DONER nations, and get on with properly vaccinating their own population, before forming these committees, daydreaming about what other (properly organised) countries do.

With less than 1% of the population vaccinated so far it will take years to accomplish. Also my understanding is that this is not one time deal, booster shots are needed on a yearly basis, are they going to keep the population up to date with the latest vaccine year after year? I doubt it.

[hk blues]

9 hours ago, Explorer said:

With less than 1% of the population vaccinated so far it will take years to accomplish. Also my understanding is that this is not one time deal, booster shots are needed on a yearly basis, are they going to keep the population up to date with the latest vaccine year after year? I doubt it.

At the current rate, yes, it will take years but I suspect that the programme will ramp up as the rest of the world completes their own population and thus supplies to other countries will speed up. Also, the simple setting up of the system takes time and even if nothing changes externally, things will pick up here anyway.  As for regular boosters, I'm not sure if this has been confirmed.  

I was optimistic I'd get mine before the year end, but I'd not put any money on that bet!

[Freebie]

As of todays figures 4 mill have received one dose and only 900K have received the required two doses.

Seems they are currently vaccinating about 160K a day...who knows when they open the old Ngayon Filipino site if that will increase... getting to Ngayon Filipino certainly isnt easy for many.

Numbers going up slowly, very slowly.... when and if they can hit 500k a day then there will be lots requests from The Vaccinated for the rules for them to be relaxed.