DOT: “No-shoot Policy” at Rizal Park, Intramuros nonexistent

Posted on November 16th, 2011. Written by Rico.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) issued a statement yesterday saying that both Rizal Park and Intramuros “are open to the public and that everyone may take personal or souvenir photos.”

The statement was in response to complaints by visitors of the two areas, which contain landmarks that commemorate Philippine history. There were reports of guards insisting that permits were needed from the National Parks’ Development Committee (NPDC) and the Intramuros Administration (IA), before even photography for personal use would be allowed.

“Nobody has the power to prevent the public, especially Filipinos, to take photos in the historical parks. The public is encouraged to visit Luneta and Intramuros to take photos to share and show their family and fellow Filipinos residing in other parts of the world”, the statement said.

However, securing permits is still necessary for “shoots for commercial advertisements, videos, infomercials, events such as prenuptial, and other commercial productions need permission from the managements of NPDC and IA to ensure that the well-being of the photographers are taken care of, as well as make certain that everything goes smoothly during the shoot.”

The complete statement is available for download through this link. Local travel blogger Ferdz Decena suggested that visitors to Rizal Park and Intramuros should print out a copy and present it “if some guards prevent you from [taking photos].”

(Image of Rizal Park from Wikipedia, taken by Gabo Halili)