DOT Offers Php 750 RT-PCR For Tourists at PCMC
After a year of tourism drought because of the pandemic, the Department of Tourism (DOT) starts offering reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test for half the price at the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC) to revitalize the tourism industry.
Malcapuya, Coron, Palawan/IMAGE from the Department of Tourism
In December 2020, during the signing of the memorandum agreement between DOT and PCMC, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat explained that with the help of the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) they collected Php 8.7 million to finance the subsidy program.
The cost of the RT-PCR test went down to Php 750 from Php 1,500, its original price.
Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat/IMAGE from her Instagram account
The program aims to help and encourage both local and international tourists to visit places that have been declared open and safe by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) and local government units.
As of press time, these are the only destinations that can be visited by tourists: Manila, Boracay, Palawan, Cebu, Bohol, Baguio, and Ilocos Norte.
Application form/Screenshot from TBP’s website
The offer is applicable as long as the purpose is to travel for tourism.
To avail of a 50 percent off subsidy, one must register online to pre-schedule their RT-PCR test at TPB, along with their valid government identification card, hotel reservation in a DOT-accredited accommodation establishment, and proof of mode of travel such as airline or bus ticket. PCMC accepts RT-PCR tests on a first-come-first-served basis.
Source: Philippine News Agency
Written by Cedie Salido
