Skip to main content

DOT oks P7M for PCR tests for tourism workers

By

 


By Leilanie G. Adriano (Staff Reporter)

LAOAG CITY—To boost the confidence of tourists to travel again, the Tourism Promotions Board of the Philippines, the marketing and promotions arm of the Department of Tourism (DOT) has approved PHP7 million for the RT-PCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) testing of tourism workers in the province.

Covering at least 2,000 DOT-accredited tourism workers composed of tour guides, driver-guides, hotel and restaurant workers among others, RT-PCR testing bearing negative result is required before they can mingle with pre-registered tourists visiting Ilocos Norte.

Xavier Ruiz, tourism operations officer II of the Ilocos Norte Tourism Office said they were able to secure the fund since November last year as they were supposed to roll out the free RT-PCR testing of tourism workers in December if for the rise cases of COVID-19, mostly in this city.

“The free RT-PCR tests of tourism workers is meant to lessen the burden of tourism employers and their workers as they resume operations again under the new normal. This works parallel with our tourists who are also required to submit themselves to COVID-19 tests before they can be permitted entry here,” Ruiz said.

To implement this, members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan presided by Ilocos Norte vice governor Cecilia Araneta-Marcos, unanimously approved Resolution No. 2021-01-250, granting authority to Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc to enter into a memorandum of agreement with the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center (MMMH&MC), represented by Dr. Ma. Lourdes Otayza.

The MMMH&MC is a COVID-19 hospital in Batac City and is authorized to perform RT-PCR test among groups and individuals in this northern part of Luzon.

As of Jan. 18, 2021, Ruiz reported a total of 582 tourists—both local and international—visited the province’s major tourism destinations since the re-opening of tourism in October 2020.

“Majority of them are Filipinos and some expats based in the Philippines,” he disclosed.

In Luzon, Ilocos Norte was the first to reopen its borders to tourists on Oct. 15 of last year to jumpstart the local economy.

Only "healthy" tourists from Luzon however are welcome, provided they follow all tourism guidelines when going to the province such as sticking with the travel itinerary with an accredited tour agent and must submit a negative result of antigen test among others.

While in Ilocos Norte, tourists are not allowed to visit public markets and other highly dense areas where locals frequent.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Marcos town celebrates 3rd Pinakbet Festival

By
MARCOS, Ilocos Norte—Taking pride of this town ’s favorite Ilo cano dish, locally known as pinakbet, a mix of indigenous vegetables steamed in fish sauce, residents here ushered the opening of the third Pinakbet festival. “Pinakbet” came from the contracted Ilokano word ‘pinakebbet ’ which means “ shrunk ” or “shriveled.” As a way of thanksgiving, the Pinakbet festival is a repository of the town ’ s “ani” [harvest] festival being celebrated every month of March but this was later moved to December to accommodate more balikbayans wanting to join the festivity. Residents in this agricultural town derived most of their income from the harvest of high value crops, including rice, tobacco and corn as staple crops. This year, the week-long festivity highlighted a grand parade around the town plaza and a pinakbet cook fest at the municipal gymnasium to showcase the best pinakbet in town. A boodle fight followed suit. Earlier, a fun run was participated by various groups ...
6 comments
Read more

Empanada festival: A celebration of good taste and good life

By
By Dominic B. dela Cruz & Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporters BATAC CITY—If there is one thing Batac is truly proud of, it would be its famous empanada-making business that has nurtured its people over the years. Embracing a century-old culture and culinary tradition, Batac’s empanada claims to be the best and tastiest in the country with its distinctive Ilokano taste courtesy of its local ingredients: fresh grated papaya, mongo, chopped longganisa, and egg. The crispy orange wrapper and is made of rice flour that is deep-fried. The celebration of this city’s famous traditional fast food attracting locals and tourists elsewhere comes with the City Charter Day of Batac every 23 rd  of June. Every year, the City Government of Batac led by Mayor Jeffrey Jubal Nalupta commemorate the city’s charter day celebration to further promote its famous One-Town, One Product, the Batac empanada. Empanada City The Batac empanada festival has already become...
15 comments
Read more

Agpada kadi ti Sarusar ken Agamang?

By
Ni Leonardo R. Agunoy AGTAUD a kasla uong dagiti saludsod kadakami no agpada kadi ti sarusar ken agamang? Maysa a kabsatmi a mannurat iti Iloko (agdadamo) ti nagtaudan dayta a saludsod. Makapaisem  a saan dayta a bugas ti saludsod. Ngem, gapu ngata ta addatayon iti agdama a modernization, awan metten ti makitkita a sarusar wenno agamang dagiti pada a mannalon ditoy Kailokuan. Iti biangmi, napintas unay a sungbatan ken ilawlawag batay ti nanumo nga ammomi. Agduma ngamin ti masasao a bengngat (diction) ti tunggal lugar. Adda lugar kas koma ditoy Ilokos, sarusar  ti awagmi (rice granary) idinto nga agamang ti awagna iti sabali a lugar. Adda pay lugar ti Kailokuan a ti awagda iti sarusar, agamang; kamalig, kunada. Mabalin a nasken a mailawlawag tapno sakbay a  malebganen dagitoy a balikas weno awag iti maysa a banag, agtalinaedto pay laeng nga adda ti pamalatpatan dagiti sumarsaruno a kaputoptan ni Ilokano. Kas ti balikas a labba (idiay Cagayan ken Ilocos Sur?), ...
Post a Comment
Read more