MANILA – The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) is eyeing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) tests for tourism workers in the world-famous Boracay Island in Malay, Aklan.
Senator Richard Gordon, chair of the PRC, said that his office is closely coordinating with Department of Tourism secretary Bernadette Puyat to make the testing possible.
“I am in coordination with the Secretary of Tourism. I would like to test for example all the workers in Boracay,” said Gordon during a joint congressional hearing on Universal Health Care on June 16.
He added: “If we do that and we say all the people have been tested, there’s no COVID here, we can start-up the economy for tourism right away for domestic and international tourism,” he added.
According to Gordon, the Red Cross’ plan is not only to save lives but to uplift human dignity.
“For so long as these people have no work, they will be suffering and there will be no contributions from people who cannot afford to pay contributions because they have no work,” Gordon said.
The well-famed island has reopened starting June 16 to Western Visayas tourists./(With a report from GMA News Online/PN)
