Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco announced that the Department of Tourism (DOT) will be pushing for groundbreaking tourism projects this year, including the construction of the country’s first Tourist First Aid Facilities as well as additional hyperbaric chambers for dive safety in select strategic locations.
“The safety of our tourists is our topmost priority. And therefore, we are pleased to introduce and launch the very first Philippines Tourist First Aid Facility. We aim to construct at least five of these tourist first aid facilities this year, in partnership with TIEZA (Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority) and the Department of Health. These tourist first aid facilities aim to provide emergency first aid assistance to our tourists who may come upon issues while they are in our tourist destinations,” Frasco announced during the DOT’s briefing with South Korean media partners, and listening tour with South Korean travel and tourism stakeholders at the Lotte Hotel Seoul.
“We aim to construct at least five of these tourist first aid facilities this year.”
The DOT organized the back-to-back events in South Korea, recognizing the importance of the foreign market being the Philippines’ top source of international tourist arrivals pre-pandemic with a total of 1,989,322 arrivals or a 24.08 percent share in 2019.
Tourist First Aid Facilities, soon to rise in the Philippines
In keeping with its commitment to uphold tourist safety in the country’s various destinations, the tourism chief announced that the DOT, in partnership with the Department of Health (DOH), will soon launch an initial five Tourist First Aid Facilities across the country which seeks to provide travelers with medical attention should they encounter accidents or emergencies while they are on vacation.
“The Tourist First Aid Facility will be equipped with skilled healthcare professionals who will have access to quick response resources to be able to attend to injuries and emergencies, enhancing the safety and peace of mind of our tourists while they travel,” the tourism chief explained.
The new flagship project, according to her, is part of the DOT’s efforts to elevate the status of Philippine tourism to be at par with other tourism nations in the world, alongside with other initiatives that have been rolled out since last year, including the launch of the Hop-On Hop-Off Tourist Bus Tours in key cities, construction of Tourist Rest Areas, launching of Philippine Experience Program nationwide, among others.
“We are committed to ensuring that every dive is not only a journey to the spectacular marine wonders of the Philippines, but also a safe one.”
Expanding the Philippine Dive Tourism portfolio
As the country is also beefing up its dive tourism portfolio with South Korean tourists being patrons of the tourism product, Frasco, a certified diver herself, shared the DOT’s plans to establish additional five hyperbaric chambers across the country through its infrastructure arm, the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA).
“We believe that the safety and well-being of our diving community and our tourists is paramount that is why we are committed to ensuring that every dive is not only a journey to the spectacular marine wonders of the Philippines, but also a safe one. A part of our ongoing dedication to diver safety, we are excited to announce a significant enhancement in our dive safety medical services. This includes the construction and addition of five hyperbaric chambers in key dive destinations in the country including Puerto Galera in Oriental Mindoro, Boracay, Cebu, Negros Oriental, as well as Camiguin. The five hyperbaric chambers are in addition to the existing 15 that can already be availed while they’re in the country,” she added.
The DOT, through its attached agency, the Philippine Commission on Sports Scuba Diving (PCSSD), is actively leading the development and audit of dive sites across the country, bringing the total number of dive destinations to 120.
Frasco also noted the beefing up of Golf Tourism in the country in a bid to further entice the Korean market.
