Tourists test before travel to avoid spread of COVID-19: DOT

ATOK, Benguet – Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat on Monday assured residents here that there are policies in the tourism sector that are in place to assure the safety of the communities where tourist attractions are located.
“Kapag (sa) tourism, merong test before travel. In fact, iyon lang at kumpara (sa) iba na walang test before travel. Kapag turista palaging may test before travel (Tourists undergo swab test before traveling compared to others where testing is not done, tourists always have their test before they travel),” she said during her visit here.
This is aside from the continuous reminder to observe the minimum public health standards, she added. “We also always remind the tourists to follow the safety protocols even if they have a negative RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction),” Romulo-Puyat said.
Tourists are also required to pre-register before their travel to a destination which was authorized by the Inter-Agency Task Force to receive tourists or people on leisure travel.
Each of the local governments of the destinations has developed visitor’s online applications with the help of the DOT. She added that with the requirements in place “so far, talagang walang (there is no) outbreak because of tourism.”
While they encourage local government units (LGUs) to consider opening their areas to tourists, she said it is still up to the LGUs to open their tourism areas or not.
“It is the decision of the mayor and the governor but we are asking for tourism reopening in consideration of the many people who have lost their jobs,” the DOT Secretary said. Puyat assured that the DOT is willing to provide technical assistance and support to LGUs who intend to reopen their areas for tourism.
Atok Mayor Raymundo Sarac and Benguet Governor Melchor Diclas joined the DOT Secretary in inspecting the Sakura farm at the Haight’s Place in Barangay Paoay and the Northern Blossoms, which are both agri-tourism destinations here.
The local officials said their residents’ views will be considered in deciding whether to reopen this town and other areas again to tourists. At present, the officials said they are readying their tourism sites if they open under the new normal.
(PNA)

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