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COVID-19 test as travel requirement up to local governments: Tourism dep't

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/news/02/24/20210223-covid-saliva-test-baguio-jl-1.jpg"/><figcaption>Baguio residents undergo COVID-19 Saliva RT-PCR tests offered by the Philippine Red Cross at the Melvin Jones Grandstand on February 23, 2021.<em> Jong Gasmena, ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA - The Department of Tourism said Wednesday it would leave it up to local governments whether or not to require COVID-19 tests as a requirement for travelers.</p><p>The Department of the Interior and Local Government earlier said it was considering a proposal to remove COVID-19 testing as a requirement for travel.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/23/21/dilg-eyes-removal-of-covid-19-test-as-travel-requirement">DILG eyes removal of COVID-19 test as travel requirement</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/22/21/cebu-gov-says-covid-19-tests-no-longer-required-for-tourists-to-province">Cebu gov says COVID-19 tests no longer required for tourists to province</a></li></ul><p>The tourism agency only calls for uniformity among travel destinations&#x27; requirements, its chief Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/02/22/21/dilg-dot-eye-streamlining-travel-requirements-to-boost-domestic-tourism">DILG, DOT eye streamlining travel requirements to boost domestic tourism</a></li></ul><p>&quot;Ang pabor kami is uniformity ng requirements. With regard to test before travel, we leave that actually to LGU (local government unit) kasi LGU ang nagdedesisyon (because they&#x27;re the ones that decide),&quot; she told ABS-CBN&#x27;s Teleradyo.</p><p>(What we favor is uniformity of requirements.)</p><p>&quot;You have to respect the protocols of the LGU kasi alam nila ang cases sa kanila (because they know their COVID-19 cases).&quot;</p><p>It is also up to the LGU whether to allow the use of saliva COVID-19 test, Puyat added.</p><p>The agency appealed to local governments to lessen travel requirements such as police clearance and health certificates, according to the secretary.</p><p>&quot;We really have to restart tourism pero malayo pa talaga. Malayo pa kasi maraming ayaw magbukas na tourist destination, or number 2, marami pa ring nangangamba magtravel,&quot; she said.</p><p>(We really have to restart tourism but recovering is still far. It&#x27;s still far because many tourist destinations have yet to open, many still fear travel.)</p><p>&quot;Number 3, gusto nila magtravel pero sa dami-dami ng requirements parang ayaw na nila (they want to travel but the amount of requirements they have to accomplish overwhelm them).&quot;</p><p>The Inter-Agency Task Force against COVID-19 will meet Friday to discuss the uniformity of travel requirements, Puyat said.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1627137" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>The Department of Tourism said Wednesday it would leave it up to local governments whether to require COVID-19 tests as a requirement for travelers.</p>

The Department of Tourism said Wednesday it would leave it up to local governments whether to require COVID-19 tests as a requirement for travelers.