DOT wants to fully subsidize cost of swab tests for local tourists

Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat. Photo courtesy of DOT

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Tourism (DOT) wants to provide free swab tests for local tourists nationwide to jumpstart the vibrancy of the country’s tourism industry, its chief Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat said on Wednesday.

Currently, the swab tests for DOT-partner hospitals at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) in Manila and the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC) in Quezon City cost P750.

“It’s still P750 for negative RT-PCR. But if things go as planned, we’ve been asking permission if we could subsidize everything to make it zero [cost for tourists] already,” Puyat told ABS-CBN News Channel.

DOT, PGH and PCMC had recently signed an agreement to provide 50 percent subsidy for swab tests of 13,000 tourists until December.

Tourists who meet the basic requirements of having confirmed round trip transportation tickets and booking confirmation with a DOT-accredited accommodation establishment would be qualified for the program.

Local travelers who wish to avail of DOT’s 50 percent swab test subsidy may visit this link: https://www.tpb.gov.ph/rtpcrphtravel/.

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