It’s no secret Phil and I love to travel and with our boat waiting for us out of the water in Subic Bay, we often find our minds wandering to the Philippines. Who hasn’t sat at home during these long weeks and clicked past hundreds of old holiday photos or scrolled through #travelinspo?

What we wouldn’t do for a dip in the crystal waters of Bacuit Bay, a breath of fresh air in Batanes or a hike through the rice terraces of Batad. The Philippines has something for every traveler, with  a vast variety of landscapes and adventures at every turn.

With the pandemic still present in our everyday lives, most of us can only sit back and daydream about travel. Confinement and movement control orders have made memories of sunny beaches and exotic destinations all the sweeter in our minds… Not to mention that our bucket list of dream destinations grows longer with each week that sit at home.

Luckily, there are good news just around the corner! The Philippines is stepping up to the plate and has been hard at work behind the scenes to ensure that safe domestic travel can resume.

What does this mean? It means that not long from now hotels, resorts and restaurants can begin to reopen! Tourism based business can apply for free to secure a DOT Certificate of Authority to Operate so that they can be sure to welcome their guests in compliance with safety regulations.

A little extra planning will go a long way on both sides. Guests will be asked to fill out a Health Declaration Form upon check-in, while hotels and resorts must commit to providing up to date information on Covid-19 as well as informing the guests of all the safety measures in place at the establishment. Make a little extra room in your luggage for face-masks but don’t worry if you forgot your hand-sanitiser as hotels and resorts will be providing sanitation kits for each guest.

With tourism starting during the pandemic, you can rest assured that hotel rooms have never been this clean! Rigorous disinfecting of linens, surfaces and spaces – combined with physical distancing – will give you a less crowded and sparkling clean hotel experience.

If the community quarantine is starting to weigh on you, think of this as a ray of sunlight peeking through the clouds. Soon the wonders of the archipelago of the Philippines will be open again for us to come marvel at.

A hike to Kagayan Lake or a snorkel in Apo Reef, the question on everyone’s mind right now is, where will we go first?

For up to date travel information, please visit philippines.travel/safeph and DOT’s official Facebook page.