Lapu-Lapu mayor asks gov't to allow vaccinated foreign tourists

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard Chan is urging the national government to permit fully vaccinated foreign tourists to enter the Philippines to revitalize the tourism sector in Cebu.

Chan proposed that these tourists should undergo an RT-PCR test before their departure from their home country.

He made this appeal to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, and the chairperson of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF).

Roque stated that the mayor's request "seems workable" and asked for a formal letter to be addressed to Duque, which Roque would then relay to the IATF.

The tourism industry in Lapu-Lapu City and the wider province of Cebu has been significantly impacted by the pandemic, with foreign tourist arrivals dropping by 82% in 2020.

This downturn in tourism has affected an estimated 5.7 million jobs across the country.