THE Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI)-Western Visayas urged the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases to allow the saliva testing as a requirement for tourists entering the island resort.
In a draft resolution, the PCCI-Western Visayas said saliva testing is cheaper compared to the current Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test.
Saliva test results could be released three to four hours, compared to the 24-hour waiting period for those swabbed for RT-PCR test.
Expected to sign the resolution are Ronald So, regional governor of PCCI-Western Visayas; Wesley Van Der Voort, president of PCCI-Boracay; Vicente Lagunday, PCCI-Antique; Ramel Buncalan, PCCI-Aklan; Engr. Dale Bernas of PCCI-Halaran Capiz; Neptune Pittman of Guimaras; and Roberto Montelibano of the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
"We thank and support you for the continuing and collective efforts to complete the rehabilitation of Boracay and the initiatives to boost the economic recovery of the Island," the first part of the resolution reads.
"We would like the Boracay IATF to seriously review and consider, and if applicable and reliable, approve for the immediate use of the RT PCR saliva test as an alternative testing mode for Boracay," it added.
If the Boracay IATF approves the use of saliva testing, they will endorse the same to the IATF in Malacanang. Copy of which will be furnished to the offices of the Department of Tourism, the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Earlier, the local government of Malay issued a resolution to use the saliva testing of the Philippine Red Cross in diagnosing Covid-19 among Malay residents, including those of Boracay. (SunStar Philippines)