Marcos, Cabinet discuss digital governance, easing of restrictions

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos and his Cabinet on Tuesday tackled the initiatives of the government to automate services and plans to further ease the travel restrictions in the country.

According to the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS), the shift to digital governance, and the implementation of health protocols and the easing of travel restrictions amid the prevailing coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic are among the agenda of the Cabinet meeting held at Malacañan Palace.

“Nakipagpulong si Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos ngayong araw sa kanyang gabinete upang talakayin ang pag-usad ng mga plano ng administrasyon, kabilang na ang pagpapabuti ng pampublikong serbisyo sa pamamagitan ng digital na pamamaraan (President Ferdinand R. Marcos met with his Cabinet today to discuss his administration’s plans, including the proposed digitalization to improve public services),” the OPS said in a Facebook post.

“Pinag-usapan din sa miting ang health protocols ng bansa pagdating sa pagbiyahe at ang panukalang gawing mas maluwag ang travel restrictions sa bansa (The health protocols for travelers and the proposal to further ease travel restrictions in the country were also tackled),” it added.

Undersecretary Cheloy Garafil, officer-in-charge of the OPS, on Monday declared that the government will mandate the use of electronic arrival (eArrival) card, a scan-and-go system in the country’s airports beginning Nov. 1 this year.

The Bureau of Quarantine (BoQ) will require all inbound travelers to obtain an eArrival card within 72 hours prior their departure from their country of origin beginning November 1.

Travelers can obtain an eArrival card by visiting the website onehealthpass.com.ph or by scanning the QR code displayed on the Department of Health’s (DOH) poster.

The adoption of eArrival Card would simplify travel inside the country by removing unnecessary information fields from the One Health Pass system.

To attract more tourists, the Philippine government is considering further easing of the country’s stringent entry protocols.

In his weekly vlog released on October 22, Marcos urged Filipinos to explore the beauty of the Philippines to spur economic growth.

Marcos stressed the importance of promoting local tourism to create more economic activities in the country.

He also promised to keep on attending promotional tourism activities in provinces and make more provinces accessible to travelers.

He stated that he would be diligent in promoting the Philippines as a welcoming destination for both domestic and international travelers.