Charles Teves
The Department of Tourism (DOT) received tremendous criticism after it was revealed that it is looking to make COVID-19 testing cheaper for tourists.
Through the creation of travel vouchers, the agency seeks to subsidize the cost of reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) swab tests for tourists.
Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat told ANC that the DOT is on its way to collaborate with the University of the Philippines- Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) to do so.
A RT-PCR test from the UP-PGH only costs P1,900 and gives the result after around 24 hours.
“And we’re looking at how to probably make travel vouchers, because while P1,900 is already cheap, we want it to be even more affordable,” Puyat said.
“So we’re looking at making it subsidized (by around) 50 percent,
“I think some were even charging P10,000 to P11,000,” Puyat added.
The DOT earlier thanked the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) for seeking to decrease the RT-CPR testing price to P3,300 since it could possibly increase demand for travel.
“Many tourist destinations have opened up to visitors, but the high cost of testing remains a deterrent to travel,” the DOT said.
Netizens weren’t too happy with the move because it seemed unfair and some think it doesn’t make sense.
Tanginang yan, di ba pwede unahin nyo muna yung mga kababayan na di ma afford yan.
Punyeta talaga tong gobyerno na to.
— Summer (@MsSummerNight) December 2, 2020
Tangina talaga this govt.
Subsidize muna yung sa workers ng magka-work bubble na.
Mass testing muna sa mga workers bago sa mga lakwatsero lakwatsera. Tengene!— ꧁𓊈𒆜Fairy Godtita𒆜𓊉꧂ (@braniacthoughts) December 2, 2020
Kaya nga sila tourists, may pang bayad eh
— Wandering Woman 💙 🟧#VaccinesWork (@iAmSuperPissed) December 2, 2020
So, the DoT will subsidize the cost of RT-PCR of tourists? What idiocy is this?
If they can afford to pay for their trip, they surely can afford to pay for their swab tests. Are there really nobody with a working brain in the incompetent dutertae regime?
1-½ years is too long. https://t.co/uPF5LjOYso
— Marcos Maharlika-watan (@serrano_rene) December 2, 2020
We must be the only country heavily promoting tourism right now kahit na we are also among the world’s pinaka-kulelat in the fight against COVID19.
— ᒪ②ᑌ1ᔕᗴ🇺🇦🎀🇨🇭🐐 (@louise107) December 2, 2020
Subsidized tests for tourists pero pag para sa mga OFWs at mga ordinaryong taxpayers dito — kargo natin ang hanggang 5k na gastos sa #COVID19 test.
Nasaan na naman ang prioritization at planning sa gobyernong ito??? 🤦🏼♀️#NasaanAngMalasakit #NasaanAngUtak
— MrsHan (@MoxieLi) December 2, 2020
Malaki kasi ng pera kapag dumami na naman ang turista. Pero di ba nila naiisip na sa panahon ng pandemya mga Intsek lang ang dumadayo sa Pinas.
— Davinagracia 🇵🇭🇬🇧 (@Davinagracia1) December 2, 2020
Subsidized for non Filipinos and let your countrymen carry the burden! Wow. Just wow!
— brent99 (@murale61101320) December 2, 2020
potek naman. unahin ang mga kababayan.. unahin ang mga frontliners. 🤦🏻♂️
— #LeniKiko2022 (@otepmed1) December 2, 2020
Puyat on her part has constantly been trying to work with Department of Health (DOH)-accredited facilities to have cheaper antigen and RT-PCR testing to increase domestic travel and bring back livelihood in tourism areas.
She pointed out that the tourism industry, economy, and the public would benefit from having accessible and cheaper RT-PCR tests amid the country’s struggle to recover from the economic disaster caused by the strict lockdowns.
“Greater access and affordability of the test will mean more Filipinos can return to their hometowns, undertake travel for leisure, business, health, education or MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions) and visit family and friends,” the DOT said.
The agency also said that demand for domestic travel will only improve after President Rodrigo Duterte signed an executive order seeking to have COVID-19 tests more accessible and affordable.
Puyat said that the DOT is planning on making a program that would have uniform travel requirements as domestic destinations start to open, which the agency has been wanting to do for a considerable amount of time.
“We’re going to be piloting it in Region 1 and Baguio, that we have a uniform travel protocol with one app also,” she told ANC.
“It’s so confusing for every destination you go to, they have their own app,” she added.
She explained that destination travel requirements are to be handled by the LGUs, except for Boracay since it falls under the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF).
“It’s not one size fits all,” she said.
“Our mayors and governors are elected officials. We give them that respect because if an outbreak occurs, they will be the ones responsible. So they are being careful… but eventually, we hope that it will be uniform so that you don’t need to download a certain app when you go to a different destination,” she added.
Domestic tourists who plan on visiting opened destinations are now required to have mobile apps that will have them fill up a health declaration among other requirements.
Puyat said the agency is also creating an app that would take care of all traveler’s documentary requirements and will give them the QR code option for a quicker response instead of having them carry physical documents.
