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DOT shuns stricter travel rules despite COVID-19 uptick

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Job Manahan, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Maria Tan ABS-CBN News." src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/life/05/16/20230514-grand-parade-street-dancing-mt-2023-19.jpg"/><figcaption>Tourists pose during the Pahiyas Festival grand parade on May 14, 2023. <em>Maria Tan ABS-CBN News.</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — The Department of Tourism (DOT) on Tuesday said it would not push for stricter travel rules despite rising COVID-19 cases in the country. </p><p>DOT Secretary Christina Frasco said minimum health protocols were in place for tourism establishments. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/18/23/puerto-galera-to-lose-p53-m-daily-should-it-be-closed-to-tourism">Puerto Galera seen to lose P5.3-M daily should it be closed to tourism: Frasco</a></li></ul><p>&quot;While we continue to support the Department of Health&#x27;s measure as well as ensuring the health and safety of our fellow Filipinos, the direction of the Philippines is forward and that is to ensure that we continue to open up the country to travel and tourism, as is the direction set by our President,&quot; she said in a press briefing. </p><p>The health department on Monday said the country logged 12,414 COVID-19 cases last week, up 31 percent in daily infections. </p><p>This is the highest number of weekly cases in 30 weeks, or since the week of Oct. 10 to 16, when the DOH logged 15,173 cases, according to the ABS-CBN Investigative and Research Group.</p><p>Frasco during the same briefing said the government would unveil a new tourism campaign and slogan in the coming weeks after President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. approved a 5-year plan to give the Philippines a &quot;fighting chance&quot; to become a &quot;tourism powerhouse.&quot; </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/16/23/marcos-oks-tourism-devt-plan-new-slogan-out-in-few-weeks-dot-chief">Marcos approves 5-year plan to make Philippines a &#x27;tourism powerhouse&#x27;: DOT</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/05/14/23/philippines-reaches-2-million-international-arrivals-dot">Philippines records 2 million international arrivals from January to May 2023: DOT</a></li></ul><p>The Philippines aims to attract <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/01/19/23/ph-targets-nearly-5-million-foreign-tourists-in-2023">nearly 5 million foreign visitors</a> this year, the Department of Tourism earlier said. </p><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=2617902" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar"><em>Video from RTVM</em></div>

Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said minimum health protocols were in place for tourism establishments. 

DOT shuns stricter travel rules despite COVID-19 uptick

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DOT shuns stricter travel rules despite COVID-19 uptick

Job Manahan,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 16, 2023 04:31 PM PHT

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Updated May 16, 2023 04:45 PM PHT

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Department of Tourism

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Christina Frasco

COVID-19

COVID19

coronavirus

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tourism

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