CAMIGUIN (PIA)--To enter the province, the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (LDRRMO) here requires tourists to secure their health declaration forms (HDFs) and yellow card or resident card from locals.

LDRRMO Operations and Warning Officer Annie Cesar said the current requirements should be presented at Benoni Port, Misamis Oriental during the Come Again to Camiguin radio program, February 10. Failure to comply with the documents and forms will hinder tourists' entry, she added.

Cesar further added that tourists must be fully vaccinated and should fill out the Clean Camiguin QR used by the local government for contact tracing and monitoring. The HDF with details and personal information such as home address, previous travels, length of stay, uploaded copy of vaccination card, and household clearance from the LGU or booking confirmation must be uploaded to www.cleancamiguinqr.com.

For tourists planning to stay with relatives, members of the household must be cleared by their local government unit (LGU) as fully vaccinated before the LGU can validate the household ready to host the tourist. There are also accredited hotels and pension houses that can accommodate tourists; booking confirmation from these establishments must also be uploaded in the HDF.

Cesar also reminded tourists that for details contradicting the prior filled out HDF, such as extended length of stay in the island or when accommodations are changed, tourists are required to notify their current accommodations and coordinate with their focal person. This way, a new HDF can be filled out with appropriate changes.

On the submission of the HDF, a Clean Camiguin admin in Balingoan will verify the form before tourists can purchase a ticket to Camiguin. Upon entry, Benoni port has prepared separate booths categorized for tourists entering the island and locals coming home.

Tourists must present their vaccination card, HDF, and Clean Camiguin QR in Benoni Port. Cesar also encourages tourists to prepare hard copies of their documents and forms for continuity of verification in case technological systems are down. Departure from Benoni Port and Camiguin airport will require the same HDF used upon entry to the province.

Yellow card or resident card, together with an entry and exit pass are required of locals to be allowed to enter Camiguin or travel to other municipalities of the island. Upon request, home address will be asked together with a photocopy of the household members’ vaccination cards.

The barangay will certify the household to the LGU who will issue the pass. This pass will only be requested to the barangay once and can be used for future travels.

Moreover, Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) or people coming from outside the country must coordinate with the provincial focal person in Camiguin and be updated with the COVID-19 International Agency Task Force (IATF) guidelines as national changes take place every now and then.

“Always lang gyud ta magpakabana, mamati, mangutanahan para dili jud ta matanggong sa atong mga ports (We should always take the initiative, listen, and be inquisitive so we won't be held for a long time in our ports),” Cesar advised.

For reliable sources, one can visit the Camiguin Tourism Office page and Gov. Jesus Jurdin Romualdo’s Facebook page to prevent misinformation about current updates on travels. (RLT/PIA-10/Camiguin)