Traveling to El Nido Palawan in 2022

 Traveling to El Nido Palawan in 2022

Something to note

- Manila was on Alert Level 2 when we traveled to Palawan. 

Primary Requirements

• Approved S-PASS / Travel Coordination Permit
• Negative Antigen Test Result (taken 24 hours before check-in to your flight to Palawan)
• RT-PCR is needed if you're not vaccinated
• Vaccination Card or Vaccination Certificate

Other Document Requirements

• Plane Tickets
• Hotel Accommodations
• Valid ID

S-PASS

This is fairly simple. 

1. Visit their website and create an account.
2. Click the APPLY PERMIT on the Are you Traveling? section.
3. Key in your Current Location. Key in El Nido in the "Where are you going?" part
1. If you are Flying into Palawan via Puerto Princesa, you still need to select El Nido since it's your final destination
4. It should display to you the requirements that you need. 
1. The requirements that I listed are for the time I traveled. You need to double-check the requirements on this part in case restrictions change.
5. Since I was required to submit a Travel Coordination Permit, I  applied at the bottom of the page.
6. I submitted the Negative Antigen, Plane Tickets, Hotel Accommodations, and Vaccination Cards as my documents.
7. Once you receive your Approved S-PASS/ Travel Coordination Permit, you are good to go.

Negative Antigen Test Result

Home Antigen Kit will not work. Make sure you get your Antigen test at an accredited clinic and they should be able to provide you with the certificate/documentation afterward.

• I got my Antigen Test at TPSN. Fairly Cheap. But their website is crappy.

Vaccination Certificate

You can get your Vaccination Certificate here. If it's not available, just bring your vaccination card.

Pro Tip

Save everything in your phone. They will check this every time! 

Post Timeskip - Boracay Travel

*Timeskip means it happened after the 2-year lockdown due to the pandemic.

Primary Requirements

1. Health Declaration Clearance from the Province of Aklan

• You can visit their site here for details.
• Requirements can be found here.

For our experience, we provided them the following:

• ID that proves you're a resident of this country.
• VaxCertPH Vaccination Certificate
• Flight Details
• Hotel Confirmation Advice. Contact your hotel to get this. 

You will receive an email with a link to get your QR Code for the Aklan Health Declaration Clearance. You will need to show this before boarding the plane going to Caticlan.

2. Other Travel Essentials

You know this already. IDs, Plane Tickets, Hotel Accommodations, Other documents, etc. 

Travel Specifics

1. Our Flight is via Cebu Pacific. We did our web check-in and we didn't have any check-in luggage. The moment we stepped inside NAIA T3, we head straight to the pre-departure area. No-fuss. NAIA T3 Overnight Parking is only available in their open area parking. The multi-level parking is currently closed.
2. We stayed at Zuzuni Boutique Hotel. They are available in Agoda but we decided to contact them directly via their website. This is to confirm that they are actually open, and for the roundtrip transfers. The room we got was beachfront. Not bad.
3. SINOVAC is the brand of our vaccines. They (Cebu Pacific/Aklan/etc) don't really care for this, just as long as you are fully vaccinated. But if in case you are wondering, there. SINOVAC

Some Tips

• Use the Health Declaration Clearance QR as phone Wallpaper. It's easier to show without digging into your bag or your phone apps.
• Bring Cash. Most establishments accept some form of cashless payment (credit card, Shopee pay, etc), but for other things like tips (to people who will carry your luggage), or small thrift shops and food stands, cash is still their only option.
• Bring extra masks =)
• If you perform web check-in, don't wear headphones while in the pre-departure area. Chances are they will call your name to check on your Health Declaration Clearance.
• Ask your Hotel to arrange for your roundtrip transfers. It's very convenient. This will incur additional costs. But maybe you can afford it.