AFTER more than a year in the doldrums, tourism in the coastal Mabini town, known as the “birthplace” of scuba diving in the Philippines, is enjoying a rebound with visitors returning to see the beautiful seaside scenery and explore rich species underwater. “Thankfully, the pandemic is being handled well, and the cases are in a downward trend. As you can see, tourists are pouring into Mabini nowadays,” said Florian Bueno, Mabini municipal tourism officer. Famous for crystal clear azure water, Mabini, a resort town of some 70,000 inhabitants located in Batangas province, south of capital Manila, is a favorite weekend destination for foreign and domestic tourists. Before the pandemic struck, Mabini had been attracting over 500,000 tourists annually, of which about 30 percent comes from abroad, mostly from Asia and Europe. The tourism sector significantly contributes to the economy of Mabini, helping to provide thousands of jobs for residents. The COVID-19 pandemic dealt a severe blow to the tourism sector in Mabini, slashing foreign arrivals and displacing service workers. With cases down and the vaccination rate up, more and more places in the Philippines have eased restrictions on public activities. Intercity travels for leisure and reopening of over 100 resorts in the town, therefore, became possible. With most of the tourism workers inoculated, the Philippines will soon allow the entry of fully-vaccinated foreign tourists from China and 43 other “green” or low-risk COVID-19 countries and regions, vowing it is “more than ready to provide visitors with a safe and pleasant experience.”(Xinhua) | 