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DOT, DOH SIGN DEAL TO BULD PHILIPPINES’ FIRST EVER TOURIST FIRST AID FACILITIES
MAKATI– To elevate the safety standards in the country’s tourist destinations, the Department of Tourism (DOT), the Department of Health (DOH), and the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), have officially partnered to establish the country’s first Tourist First Aid Facilities.
Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, Jr., and TIEZA Chief Operating Officer (COO) Mark Lapid, represented by Assistant COO Atty. Joy Bulauitan, ceremonially signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) held in Makati City on Monday (July 29).
DOT Assistant Secretary Judilyn Quiachon, TIEZA ACOO Atty. Karen Mae Sarinas-Baydo, and DOH Undersecretary Dr. Elmer Punzalan served as witnesses.
Emphasizing the importance of prioritizing tourist safety, the tourism chief said: “It is with immense gratitude that the Department of Health, under the leadership of Secretary Ted Herbosa, has accepted our proposal for a convergence to prioritize tourist safety. With the infrastructure to be built by TIEZA, we shall tap the expertise of the Department of Health in the operation of healthcare facilities, as well as the experience of their personnel in handling emergencies and providing immediate intervention to safeguard the lives of our tourists.”
According to Secretary Frasco, the United Nations Tourism has declared health, safety, security, and hygiene crucial for tourism sustainability and competitiveness.
“If our tourists become ill or injured during a trip to any of our island destinations, we must be able to ensure proper, rapid, and the best care on site,” she noted, citing that investing in tourist convenience and safety is imperative if the country is furthering the momentum of the Philippines’ exponential tourism growth.
“With the forging of this convergence and the signing of this historic agreement between our agencies, I would like to assure our tourism stakeholders in the private sector who have joined us today, as well as our stakeholders from all over the Philippines, that the Marcos Administration is doing all that it can to transform the tourism landscape of our country towards global competitiveness, cognizant that an enhanced overall tourism experience will ultimately ensure longer staying tourists, repeat visits, and more economic opportunities, livelihood, and income for our fellow Filipinos and the businesses that depend on the tourism industry,” Secretary Frasco added.
For his part, Health Secretary Herbosa pledged the DOH’s commitment to ensuring visitors’ safety.
“It is our honor and privilege to join you for the ceremonial signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Health, the Department of Tourism, and Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority on this Tourist Emergency Facilities, especially in the identified five gems of our country. This initiative, directed by our President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., marks a significant step in our commitment to enhancing the well-being of both local and international tourists in the Philippines,” he said.
The health secretary also emphasized that more than the duty to showcase the country’s natural wonders, it is also the health department’s responsibility to ensure that tourists have immediate access to medical care and emergency services.
“The establishment of the tourism emergency facilities in our key tourist destinations reflects our government’s dedication to providing access to health services. These facilities will not only enhance the safety of our tourists but also contribute significantly to the health tourism objective,” he said.
“I would like to extend my sincerest gratitude to the Department of Tourism headed by Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco for initiating this project. Your vision and leadership in spearheading this collaboration demonstrate an understanding of the interconnectedness between tourism and health,” he added.
Meanwhile, TIEZA has committed to delivering the project on time.
“As the DOT’s infrastructure arm, we embrace this new direction as we share the same goal of ensuring the health, safety, and security of our tourists,” TIEZA ACOO Bulauitan, who delivered the speech on behalf of COO Lapid.
Densely populated destinations as priority
Under the MOU, the agencies have agreed to build the inaugural batch of Tourist First Aid Facilities in areas with a high concentration of tourists including La Union; Boracay Island in Aklan; Siargao Island in Surigao del Norte; Panglao Island in Bohol; Palawan; and Puerto Galera.
According to the tourism chief, La Union will be the first to break ground next month, with the expected completion in the first quarter of 2025. The DOT’s attached agency, TIEZA, will be spearheading the design and construction of the facilities which will function as emergency response centers for tourists encountering accidents or injuries during their visit.
As part of the commitment of the DOH, it will be staffed by well-trained healthcare professionals–physicians and nurses–and will be equipped with essential medical supplies and medications to ensure prompt and effective emergency assistance.
Additionally, the facilities will have a secondary purpose of providing preventive care as they will have a second floor serving as a lifeguard station or viewing deck to oversee tourist safety.
Noting the profile of incidences happening at each destination, the Secretary clarified that such facilities aim to be able to provide the “right type of care”, considering the varying tourism products the destinations are offering to tourists.
Thus, the healthcare professionals will be strategically deployed depending on the needs of the destinations, as well as the medical equipment needed for each area.
“The effort is to have an efficient, timely, and effective first response to tourist emergencies and to be able to handle these emergencies in a manner that would assure our tourists that when they come to the Philippines, their health emergencies would be addressed at the soonest possible time without having to wait hours before they are brought to a tertiary facility,” the Secretary said in a separate interview with reporters.
To complement these Tourist First Aid Facilities, solar-powered Tourist First Aid Booths will also be installed along beachfront areas, particularly in long stretches of coastlines, to address the immediate medical needs of tourists without the presence of medical personnel. These booths will be equipped with First Aid supplies, automated external defibrillators (AEDs), a pullout stretcher, a CCTV camera, and a two-way communication system linking to a command center for emergency calls.
The DOT shall also be in charge of facilitating the conduct of the Filipino Brand of Service Excellence and other relevant tourism-related training for public health sector personnel.
It will also oversee the maintenance of the facilities.
Photos:
Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, Jr., and TIEZA Chief Operating Officer (COO) Mark Lapid, represented by Assistant COO Atty. Joy Bulauitan, ceremonially signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the establishment of the country’s first-ever Tourist First Aid Facilities on Monday (July 29) in Makati City.
Design of the Tourist First Aid Facilities courtesy of TIEZA:
Published:July 30, 2024
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