BACOLOD CITY – The Negros Occidental Provincial Tourism Division continues to help foreign tourists stranded due to the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak, including those who are set to leave on charter planes en route to their repatriation flights back to their respective countries.
As of yesterday noon, a total of 245 tourists – mostly Americans, Canadians and Europeans – are still in this province.
Provincial tourism officer Jennylind
Cordero said that 56 of the foreigners are set to fly out of Negros Occidental
on board a Philippine Airlines flight, while others are still waiting for their
respective special flights.
There are also foreigners who will stay in this province until its travel
restrictions are lifted, she added.
An earlier list of the Provincial Tourism Division showed that as of April 15, a total of 530 foreign tourists have been repatriated from Negros Occidental.
The visitors were assisted in leaving this province through humanitarian and charter flights.
In Sipalay City, which hosts the most number of foreign tourists, its City Tourism Development and Promotion Office reported that as of April 16, 47 foreigners are still around. These include 31 staying in resorts and 16 in private residences.
Earlier, some 50 foreigners in Sipalay were assisted in securing permits and other pertinent documents for their repatriation flights.
“Although the Department of Tourism has issued an advisory that the agency is no longer initiating flights for stranded tourists, there are still airlines with commercial flights or groups doing private charters to move stranded tourists to international gateways,” the Provincial Tourism Division said in an earlier statement.(With a report from PNA/PN)
