Tourism destinations in the country have been reopening, encouraging more people to travel. Many have opted for outdoor activities, such as camping by the beach or glamping in the mountains as outdoor activities in nature settings have been more likely the tourism activity opted for by Filipinos in time of pandemic, according to a study commissioned by the Department of Tourism a few months ago.
The most accessible province from Manila that has plentiful of beach and mountain destinations is Batangas, which is just two to three hours away.
Recently, the provincial tourism and cultural affairs office of Batangas City came out with a color-coded map of Batangas that tells the travel requirements of towns and cities comprising the province.
Yellow colored towns include Sto. Tomas City, Tanauan City, Talisay, Malvar, Laurel, Taal, Agoncillo, San Nicolas, Cuenca, Alitagtag, San Jose, San Pascual, Batangas City, Taysan, Rosario, Padre Garcia, Calaca, Tuy, and Lian. The LGUs of yellow coded towns and cities require no travel documents for essential travel from people coming from GCQ communities. These towns also do not yet allow leisure activities.
Blue colored towns and cities include Nasugbu, Balayan, Balete, Mataasnakahoy, Lipa City, Ibaan, and San Juan City. These blue-coded towns and cities also do not require travel documents for essential travel from people coming from MGCQ places, but for tourists going to resorts in these areas, they are required to have advanced resort booking.
Calatagan is pink colored, while Tingloy is marked as purple. Mabini is orange tagged. For travelers from GCQ communities who are going to Calatagan, they need a barangay certificate for essential travel. They also need a barangay certificate and advanced resort booking if they’re bound for tourist destinations.
Travelers bound for Tingloy are required to have prior arrangement with the town/barangay office. They are also required to have a travel itinerary, travel order or notice of acceptance.
Those wanting to go to Mabini, a coastal town, no travel documents are required if they come from GCQ communities. But they are required to have advanced resort reservation, and rapid antigen test for those intending to enjoy diving and swimming activities.
Towns and cities that are marked with red stars include Nasugbu, Laurel, Malvar, and San Juan. These towns allow staycation in hotels but guests are required to have advanced booking and rapid antigen test.
