Boracay tourism workers to get DoT fund for COVID-19 testing
THE TOURISM department will provide P1.6 million to have Boracay workers undergo reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing as more local tourists are anticipated to go on holiday at the popular island destination. “By supporting RT-PCR testing among workers in Boracay, the Department reiterates that safety is the unparalleled priority in reopening domestic tourism. “We want to restore confidence amongst travelers and protect their health and well-being as our tourism workers get their livelihood back,” Tourism Secretary Bernadette RomuloPuyat said in a statement on Monday. Boracay was reopened to local visitors on October 1. The Department of Tourism, together with the World Health Organization and the Department of Health, also provided a P1.8 million fund to Baguio City in support of antigen testing for visitors in the mountain city. Baguio and provinces in Region 1 launched the first domestic tourism bubble also on Oct. 1. Ms. Puyat said the Tourism Promotions Board is undertaking more project for the rest of the year to assist destinations in terms of readiness with health and safety protocols. “All of these efforts by the DoT, our attached agencies, together with our partners in the public and private sector, support the President’s directive to boost the country’s domestic tourism. We are hopeful that, by reviving tourism with health and safety measures in place, the tourism industry will make it through the pandemic and be a strong catalyst for economic growth in the new normal,” Ms. Puyat said.