White Beach, Boracay and El Nido, Palawan have placed second and ninth, respectively, in the Condé Nast’s Traveler’s 25 Best Island Beaches in the World: 2020 Readers’ Choice Awards list.

In a new release on Wednesday, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said the inclusion of the two destinations in the prestigious travel publication’s annual Readers’ Choice Awards is “sheer recognition of their unparalleled beauty and uniquely diverse resources.”

“We would like to thank the travelers who voted for our destinations. We draw inspiration from this warm reception and solid vote of confidence from our satisfied patrons. As our destinations gradually reopen with health and safety measures in place, we will continue our conservation and protection efforts of these areas,” Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said.

“Boracay is a screensaver brought to life, with dazzling white sand, so-clear-you-can-see-your-toes water, and a lush jungle backdrop, available to anyone willing to make the journey. The island used to fly under the radar with one of the most beautiful beaches in the world – but the secret’s out. Now the three-mile White Beach, with its grottos and beachside dining (and nightlife), is its busiest swath of sand,” wrote Conde Nast’s Caitlin Morton.

On El Nido, Morton gushed, “Shockingly, Palawan remains steadily under the radar, even though it continues to rank highly in our Readers’ Choice Awards. El Nido alone is home to around 50 white sand beaches – it’s impossible to choose just one – all of which are set around dramatic limestone formations and have the finest and whitest sand you’ll ever see. The water is so blindingly blue it makes the Caribbean Sea look murky in comparison. And the sunsets? Well, they’ll ruin you for life. Consider yourself warned.”

Both Boracay and El Nido are open to domestic tourists coming from general community quarantine (GCQ) and modified GCQ areas with health and safety protocols, which you can find at www.philippines.travel/safetrip or download the Travel Philippines app at app.philippines.travel.

As a means to make domestic travel more affordable, the DOT, through the Tourism Promotions Board, encourages domestic tourists to avail of the 50-percent subsidized reverse transcription – polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests.

The program, in collaboration with the University of the Philippines – Philippines General Hospital and the Philippine Children’s Medical Center, brings down the test cost to PHP900 and PHP750, respectively. To apply, visit https://www.tpb.gov.ph/rtpcrphtravel/. (PNA)