The 50 percent subsidy for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) tests for qualified domestic tourists has resumed, the Department of Tourism (DOT) announced Wednesday after the government allowed leisure travel in and out of the National Capital Region (NCR) Plus.

Through this initiative, tourists may get tested at PHP900 and PHP750 from the University of the Philippines – Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) in Manila and the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC) in Quezon City, respectively.

To qualify, travelers must have confirmed round-trip transportation tickets and booking confirmation with a DOT-accredited accommodation establishment.

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat is optimistic this move would help bring the tourism industry back to its feet.

“The Philippine tourism industry has been adversely affected by the pandemic. The subsidy aims to encourage domestic travel by aiding the tourists in fulfilling the RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) test requirement, and to enable them to visit their destination of choice at a lesser cost,” Romulo-Puyat said.

She noted that the increased number of travelers would boost spending, which in turn could hasten economic recovery.

“We at the DOT are doing whatever we can to help the industry and its stakeholders recoup their losses and ensure security and sustainability amid this pandemic,” she added.

The current agreement with the UP-PGH and PCMC runs from January to June this year, with the two hospitals receiving PHP9.99 million and PHP8.70 million, respectively, benefiting 22,711 domestic travelers.

According to the DOT, the Tourism Promotions Board and PCMC are scheduled to sign another memorandum of agreement to extend the initiative from July 1 to December 31 this year, to benefit 13,333 local tourists.

The entire subsidy program costs PHP35.17 million for the whole year.

To apply for the discounted test, tourists must register at https://www.tpb.gov.ph/rtpcrphtravel/ (PNA)