DOT eyes RT-PCR test deal with PGH at P1,800 to boost domestic tourism

The Department of Tourism is eyeing to ink an agreement with the UP-Philippine General Hospital (PGH) to secure an RT-PCR or nasal swab test for each tourist priced at P1,800 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said Tuesday.

Puyat said this aims to address the prohibitive cost of RT-PCR to travelers en route to spurring domestic travel but still in observance of health and safety protocols amid COVID-19.

“We are looking to tie up with UP-PGH. Government-to-government agreement. Worth P1,800 ang RT-PCR test, results will come out in 24 hours,” Puyat said in an ANC interview.

“We are also looking at making travel vouchers para mas mura, isa-subsidize namin ang half of the P1,800 cost ng RT-PCR test since most of the destinations require a negative RT-PCR COVID-19 test result 48 to 72 hours before arrival,” she added.

Puyat earlier appealed for the uniform protocols in local government units in terms of regulating tourism destinations.

As it is, the regulation of tourism destinations depends on the discretion of LGUs except for Boracay which is under the jurisdiction of the national government, specifically the Inter-Agency Task Force.

Baguio City, on the other hand, only requires a negative antigen COVID-19 test which is cheaper than the RT-PCR test.

Puyat said the DOT already released P10 million of its budget out of Bayanihan 2 to subsidize the RT-PCR test of tourism workers in Boracay to ensure safety.

"Sa ganoon po, hindi po mag-aalala ang ating tourism workers and tourists are also assured that the tourism workers who are in close contact with them are COVID-19 free," she pointed out

“When we do tourism [protocols] correctly, we bring back jobs,” Puyat added.

The Health department already set a price range for RT-PCR test at P3,800 for public facilities and P4,500 to P5,000 for private hospitals and laboratories.

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), however, did not revise its RT-PCR COVID 19 test package which ranges from P901 to P3,409 even with the new price range.

Coron and Siargao will be open to tourists starting today, December 1, since being closed down in March.

The Philippines has recorded 431,630 COVID-19 cases so far. Of this number, 398,658 recovered while 8,392 died.

The number of active COVID-19 cases is at 24,580. —AOL, GMA News