The Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) allots P10 million to be used as subsidy for the cost of testing for the travelers and tourism workers of Bohol, as the island province is set to reopen its borders to frequent individual travelers and leisure tourists by Dec. 15, 2020.
Tourism Sec. Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said the P10 million will be used to subsidize the cost of the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of tourists coming to Bohol as well as the testing of tourism frontliners of the province.
Puyat added that she wants to ensure that all the tourism frontliners are also safe from infection due to the Coronavirus disease (Covid).
There is no definite date when tourists who want to visit Bohol can avail themselves of the subsidized rates of RT-PCR test. The mechanism of the availing of the subsidized RT-PCR tests are yet to be finalized.
During Tuesday’s press conference, TPB chief operating officer Ma. Antoinette Velasco-Allones said the funds will come from the said agency’s Special Contingency Fund, which can be used in different situations or contingencies that the board will support.