Published February 23, 2021, 11:38 AM
ILOILO CITY To encourage more tourists to visit Boracay Island, a prominent business group has asked the national government’s support in establishing a testing center for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Malay town, Aklan province.
Tourists and locals enjoy the white-sand beach of Boracay Island as travel restrictions have been eased due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Tara Yap/File/Manila Bulletin)
The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI-Western Visayas Chapter) has asked the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force to back plans to create a molecular laboratory run and managed by the Philippine Red Cross (PRC).
“This will ensure the timely and accurate COVID-19 testing for both tourists and other stakeholders and thus promoting a safer, healthier, and better environment that would further boost and fast track the economic recovery of the island,” said PCCI-Western Visayas Chapter in a statement.
SunStar
+ February 19, 2021 THE Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI)-Western Visayas urged the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases to allow the saliva testing as a requirement for tourists entering the island resort.
In a draft resolution, the PCCI-Western Visayas said saliva testing is cheaper compared to the current Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test.
Saliva test results could be released three to four hours, compared to the 24-hour waiting period for those swabbed for RT-PCR test.
Expected to sign the resolution are Ronald So, regional governor of PCCI-Western Visayas; Wesley Van Der Voort, president of PCCI-Boracay; Vicente Lagunday, PCCI-Antique; Ramel Buncalan, PCCI-Aklan; Engr. Dale Bernas of PCCI-Halaran Capiz; Neptune Pittman of Guimaras; and Roberto Montelibano of the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry.