Boracay to keep RT-PCR test requirement for tourists

Boracay will continue to require RT-PCR tests for all tourists, including those who have been fully vaccinated, due to concerns about the authenticity of vaccination cards.

Malay, Aklan Mayor Frolibar Bautista confirmed that fully vaccinated individuals must still present a negative RT-PCR test result, even with vaccination cards.

The local government plans to establish a system to detect tampered or fake vaccination cards.

Aklan Governor Florencio Miraflores stated that the RT-PCR requirement will remain until a reliable system for validating vaccination cards is in place.

Governor Miraflores cited the risk of fake vaccination cards, noting that even RT-PCR test results have been tampered with in the past.

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat views Aklan's decision as a cautious approach to recovery and emphasized the importance of vaccinations for tourism workers.

This decision aligns with a previous resolution by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) that allowed fully vaccinated individuals to travel between zones without an RT-PCR test, but LGUs retain the option to require them.