Boracay tourists urged use of Aklan QR code

 The provincial government of Aklan on Wednesday announced that it is still urging tourists going to Boracay to use the Aklan QR Code amid the availability of another system known as the S-Pass.

The S-Pass is a travel management system that was recently approved for use by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).

According to Aklan Governor Florencio Miraflores, tourists are already aware of the use of the QR Code and noted the convenience it brings to the province on maintaining the local management system.

The S-Pass, on the other hand, was developed by the Department of Science and Technology (DoST) for the use of the locally stranded individuals (LSI) and travelers as a contact tracing system during the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

“Right now, we already perfected the Aklan QR Code and our validating teams are now quick in their response time for tourists wanting to go to Boracay,” Miraflores said.

A tourist going to Boracay must register at the QR code found at the website of www.aklan.gov.ph and after accomplishing the forms, tourists should email it to the province and wait for validation.

Upon validation, tourists must present the copy along with the negative swab test and hotel bookings at the Caticlan Jetty Port.

Meantime, Engr. Rowen Gelonga, regional director of the DoST in Western Visayas, said they have already started introducing the S-Pass system among the several local government units (LGU) in the region including the province of Aklan.

“Each local government will be given an account of the S-Pass. Their personnel will be trained on how to use this. This way, the LGU will be able to maximize the use of the S-Pass,” Gelonga said.