Since the pandemic, I haven't been able to travel anywhere in the Philippines. Since the start of last year, it was difficult to travel anywhere because every local government unit has its own requirements. Travel restrictions started to ease up in the last quarter of 2021, so this year I decided to go on my first official trip since 2020. Yes, my quick trips to Manila do not count.

I decided to go to El Nido, Palawan for two reasons. First is that flights were really cheap. Second is that I have not been to Palawan yet.

I flew via Cebu Pacific because I had a lot of travel funds from canceled flights over the past few months. It was a half-empty flight going to Puerto Princesa. When I arrived in Puerto Princesa, I had a van arranged to pick me up at the airport and drop me off in El Nido. It was roughly a five-hour van ride and I slept through most of it.

It was late in the afternoon when I arrived. There was not much to do except to just take a stroll along the beach and get something to eat.


When I traveled, it was much stricter. I had to submit a negative antigen test on top of the other usual requirements. This was because there was an Omicron variant surge in Metro Manila. For now, travel is unrestricted.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS FOR TOURISTS

For Fully-Vaccinated Tourists:


For Partially-Vaccinated or Unvaccinated Tourists:

  • Approved Spass, which you can generate from https://s-pass.ph/
  • Negative result of RT-PCR test or Red Cross Saliva test, taken at least 48 hours before arrival

Upon arriving at the Puerto Princesa airport, there was a separate queue for travelers bound to El Nido as they have different requirements from those staying in Puerto Princesa. It was a smooth process and the line was quick, so kudos to the airport staff for having an organized system.