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PH readies for more tourist arrivals starting March despite COVID-19 pandemic

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Katrina Domingo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Passengers check in for their flights at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City on January 3, 2022. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/01/03/01032022-covid-airport-travellers.jpg"/><figcaption>Passengers check in for their flights at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City on January 3, 2022. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File</figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA—The number of tourist arrivals in the Philippines is expected to increase starting next month even as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to persist, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said Saturday.</p><p>The months of March, April and May are expected to draw in more tourists to the Philippines, DOTr Undersecretary Raul del Rosario told state television PTV.</p><p>&quot;Nagdagdag tayo ng verification officers sa NAIA dahil baka nga dumami ang pasahero,&quot; Del Rosario said, noting some 10 to 20 additional verification booths at Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the country&#x27;s main gateway.</p><p>(We added verification officers at NAIA due to the expected increase in passengers.)</p><p>&quot;As much as possible wala na tayong manual filling up of forms at kung possible ay sa eroplano na gawin ’yan at kung puwedeng i-automate ay i-automate na natin.&quot;</p><p>(As much as possible, we try to avoid the manual filling up of forms and if possible, we urge travelers to fill these out on the plane and if possible just use automated options.)</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/10/20/21/opening-of-borders-easing-of-protocols-to-spur-tourism">&#x27;Light at end of tunnel&#x27;: Opening of borders, easing of protocols to spur tourism</a></li></ul><p>Since it reopened its doors to tourists from non-visa countries earlier this month, the Philippines has seen a 10-percent increase in passenger traffic at airports.</p><p>At least 10,600 foreigners arrived in the Philippines between February 10 and 15 alone, Del Rosario said.</p><p>Of this number, 4,579 were former Filipinos, while 5,795 were foreign tourists, he said.</p><p>&quot;Umaabot sa 6,500 average daily [arrivals],&quot; he said.</p><p>A majority of foreigners entering the country after pandemic restrictions were eased arrived from the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and South Korea, Del Rosario added.</p><p>The government is also anticipating flights to increase in the coming months, he said.</p><p>The Philippines first closed its borders in the first half of 2020, months after cases of COVID-19 rose in the country after the Department of Health failed to immediately trace several passengers from Wuhan, China, where the virus was first detected.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/01/03/22/alert-3-to-cause-p200-m-economic-loss-affect-100k-jobs">DTI: Tighter COVID-19 curbs to cause P200 million economic loss, affect 100k jobs</a></li></ul><p>Earlier this month, the national government began allowing vaccinated travelers from select countries to enter the Philippines to aid its ailing economy, that partly relies on billions of tourism receipts.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/09/22/ph-to-welcome-vaccinated-intl-tourists-starting-thursday">Philippines to reopen borders to fully vaccinated foreign tourists beginning Thursday</a></li></ul><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1909911" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

The months of March, April and May could see more tourists arriving in the Philippines, DOTr Undersecretary Raul del Rosario says.

PH readies for more tourist arrivals starting March despite COVID-19 pandemic

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PH readies for more tourist arrivals starting March despite COVID-19 pandemic

Katrina Domingo,

ABS-CBN News

Published February 19, 2022 03:15 PM PHT

Read More:

COVID-19

coronavirus

travel

transportation

tourism

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