Are you looking to get RT-PCR Test for 4000 pesos and below? RT-PCR or Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction Test is considered as the gold standard in detecting corona virus infection. Hence, it remains to be one of the requirements to enter premiere tourist destinations in the country like Boracay and Siargao.

Click here for the list of requirements to enter Boracay.

Click here for the list of requirements to enter Siargao.

To curb COVID-19, the local government units have set minimum health and safety standards in compliance with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) directives. One of the requirements is a negative RT-PCR test result taken 48 to 72 hours from extraction.

There are 114 laboratories licensed to conduct RT-PCR tests in the country. These are composed of government-run and private facilities. Click here for the list of other testing sites in the country.

The cost of RT-PCR test varies. I have heard stories from friends that it can go as high as P 10,000. The exorbitant cost certainly is a big turn-off for people to travel to COVID-free destinations such as Boracay. 

I have rounded up below some of the diagnostic laboratories certified by the Department of Health (DOH) that offer RT-PCR test for P 4000 and below.

Where to get RT-PCR test for 4000 pesos and below

1. Safeguard DNA Diagnostic Lab

Safeguard Diagnostic Lab has a Holiday Promo. They offer drive-thru, onsite and home services.

Drive- thru and On-site Rates (No Minimum)

Home Service, Hotel Service & Office Service (Minimum of 3 patients)

Book your appointment. For inquiries, please call or text:

09298284063 Monday to Saturday – 9:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.

09993180728 Monday to Friday – 10:00A.M. to 05:00P.M.

2. Philippine Airport Diagnostic Laboratory

The Philippine Airport Diagnostic Laboratory is located at the CBL Area, Domestic Road, Pasay City. They also offer drive-thru, onsite and home services.

Drive- thru and On-site Rates (No Minimum)

Home Service (Minimum of 3 patients)

To set your appointment, click here or call their customer service hotline nos.: (02) 8251-5868, 0996-791-7788 or 0966-438-5045. They are open for walk-in and drive-thru swabbing, Mondays to Sundays from 8 AM to 6 PM. Their laboratories are operational 24/7.

3. Philippine Red Cross

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) likewise offers RT-PCR tests for 4000 pesos with guaranteed release of results in 24 to 48 hours.

On November 17, Senator Richard Gordon, chair of the PRC, announced during the Senate plenary hearing that PRC will be reducing the testing price to P 3300 and eventually to P 3200 to make it more affordable.

To book an appointment, call their hotline 1158 or download the RC143 app and connect via Viber chat.

So, if you need to get RT-PCR Test for 4000 pesos and below, try any of the three testing sites mentioned above. These sites can guarantee release of RT-PCR Test results within 48 to 72 hours.

Below are the RT-PCR testing Sites with prices ranging from 1750-2000. However, I am not sure if they can guarantee the release of results within 48 to 72 hours:

• Philippine Children Medical Center
• Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital
• Jose B. Lingad Memorial General Hospital
• Perpetual Medical Center-Las Piñas
• National Kidney and Transplant Institute
• Lung Center of the Philippines
• Western Visayas Medical Center-Iloilo
• Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center-Cebu City
• University of Cebu Medical Center-Center
• Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center-Tacloban, Leyte
• Baguio General Hospital
• Zamboanga City Medical Center
• St. Paul’s Hospital-Tacloban, Leyte
• Teresita Jalandoni Provincial General Hospital-Negros Occidental
• Cebu Molecular Laboratory

Source: Inquirer

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Aklan Governor Joeben Miraflores held a consultation meeting today, October 31, 2020, with Congressman Ted Haresco, Malay Municipal Mayor Frolibar Bautista, Barangay officials and Boracay stakeholders at Henann Regency Resort.

Removal of RT-PCR Test for Boracay tourists sought

The attendees unanimously voted for the removal of the submission of a Negative RT-PCR (Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) Test (taken 72 hours before departure) as a requirement for tourists to enter Boracay. A resolution will be submitted to the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) for approval.

According to a Facebook post shared by Mr. Gil S. Delos Santos, once approved, tourists who want to enter Boracay only need to submit a health declaration and a confirmed hotel/resort accommodation with the Department of Tourism (DOT) Accreditation and Certificate of Authority to Operate (CAO).

• For the online health declaration, click here.
• Here is the list of Department of Tourism (DOT) with Certificate of Authority to Operate (CAO) in Western Visayas as of October 21, 2020.

Further, the DOT will provide 10 Million pesos to fund the cost of RT-PCR testing of Boracay workers in preparation for the full reopening.

Also, establishments on the island will be required to have a QR system for contact tracing.

Lackluster Boracay Reopening

Boracay reopened last October 1, 2020. In time for the reopening, airlines and hotels brought down their prices by as much as 70%. This is to help boost tourism.

However, aside from the fear of contracting COVID-19, the cost of the RT-PCR Test remains to be a major factor in preventing tourists from visiting the country’s number one island tourist destination. The cost ranges from 1500 to as much as 10,000 pesos.

We cannot wait to welcome more tourists on the island. We are ready. Tourism is the island’s main source of livelihood. Since lockdown, tourism has been in a slump.

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On October 1, 2020, Boracay reopened its borders to local tourists from areas classified under General Community Quarantine (GCQ). And, this was the third reopening in a span of two years. Each one for a different reason. The first was on October 26, 2018, after a 6-month closure to rehabilitate the island. The second was on June 16, 2020 to tourists from the Western Visayas Region, after three months of quarantine.

Boracay reopening after a 6-month rehabilitation

On October 26, 2018, exactly two years ago today, Boracay reopened after six months of closure for rehabilitation. I booked one of the early flights to be one of the first few to capture the island’s “restored” beauty on video. I stayed on the island for two weeks and was able to publish a vlog on my Youtube channel. Watch it here.

Carpe diem

In January 2019, I came back for a two-week vacation. Opportunity knocked to work and lead a more peaceful life on the island. I knew I had to seize the chance. In barely two months, I finished all of my commitments in Metro Manila. And on April 9, 2019, I packed my bags, got on a boat and left for the island for good.

Long story short, I ended up juggling three jobs: a Marketing Officer of a travel agency, a Managing Partner of an apartelle and a bar tender. I was on a roll! Things were looking pretty good.

Strike 1: Ursula

Tourism started to pick up. Then, a super storm, known locally as Typhoon Ursula, struck unleashing ruin on Boracay a day prior to Christmas of 2019. Ursula left the island, literally, in the dark for a good three weeks. We spent the holidays without electricity, telecommunication and internet connection. None of my family and friends knew the extent of Ursula’s destruction. Power and telecommunication were only restored by the second week of January 2020.

Strike 2: Taal

We, on the island, remained steadfast and had high hopes in recovering our business losses as we geared up for the influx of tourists for the Chinese New Year celebration. Then, Taal, the world’s smallest volcano, erupted on January 12, 2020. Flights and hotel bookings got cancelled. Tourists got stranded. Business on the island slowed down yet again.

I said to myself, “This, too, shall pass.”

I checked my booking calendar and saw that I still had guest reservations for the upcoming summer and Holy Week. Enough to tide me over. Better days ahead, or so I thought.

Strike 3: COVID-19

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organinization declared the ‘2019 novel coronavirus’ or ‘2019-nCoV (COVID-19) as a global pandemic. This resulted to the Philippine government’s decision to close the country’s borders on March 16, 2020. That was when everything started to crumble. No more travel inquiries. No more apartelle bookings. More cancellations. No more bar to tend. No more tourists to entertain. It was time to close shop and let go.

By April 2020, I was jobless. Even my online work as a marketing consultant was put to a halt. I entertained myself during the lockdown and created a Tiktok account.

Boracay reopening to Western Visayas

On June 16, 2020, Boracay reopened to tourists coming from Western Visayas. The low influx of visitors was not enough to reboot the island’s economy. The same beachcombers frequented the beach front day in and day out.

Boracay reopening to the rest of the country under GCQ

On October 1, 2020, after nearly seven months, Boracay reopened to local tourists from areas classified under General Community Quarantine (GCQ).

Requirements for tourists from GCQ areas:

• RT-PCR (Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) Negative result with three days (72 hours) validity before arrival. Here is a list of hospitals with RT-PCR Tests ranging from 1750-2000 pesos:

• Online health declaration. Click here.

• Confirmed booking hotel/resort accommodation with DOT Accreditation and Certificate of Authority to Operate (CAO). Here’s the list of accredited establishments with CAO in Western Visayas as of October 21, 2020:

Here is why you should visit Boracay now and what to expect:

COVID-free Paradise

The country’s top island destination remains to be COVID-free and we aim to keep it that way. Safety protocols are in place and are strictly adhered to by the establishments. We religiously wear our face masks and shields and we regularly wash our hands. We maintain social distancing, too, and we expect our visitors to do the same.

Budget-Friendly Rates

Take advantage of the budget-friendly rates offered by some of the luxury hotels on the island. Book a 5-star accommodation at an uber discounted rate. Discounts range from 50% to 75% off published rates. Average room rate per night is Php 2500, good for two adults. If you are lucky, you might even get free breakfast.

The Henann Group of Resorts has partner third party providers that offer RT-PCR Tests at a decent cost.

White Beach All To Yourself

If you love peace and quiet, Boracay is perfect. Not too many distractions. Just you, the sun, sand and sea. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Based on the Boracay Tourists Arrival Data as of October 25, 2020, the average daily number of tourists arrivals is 78. Slowly, tourism is starting to pick up. However, this is a far cry from the average daily number of tourists during the first 10 months of 2019, i .e. 5,808.

Amazing Sunsets

No sunset in Boracay is the same. Watch the picturesque sunset in awe while enjoying your favorite cocktail in one of the beach front restaurants or while strolling on the beach for that much needed exercise or while taking a dip in the crystal clear waters of Boracay.

Swimming Period

Swimming is allowed from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. in designated parts of White Beach and Puka Beach. Senior citizens and children are allowed to swim.

Curfew

There is an islandwide curfew from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. the next day. As the great Benjamin Franklin aptly put it, “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” 🤪

Select Food and Drinks Establishments

Below are some of the food and drinks establishments that are open amidst the pandemic:

My Boracay Guide updates their list of partner establishments weekly. Click here.

Stumbling Blocks

Aside from potentially acquiring COVID-19, the exorbitant cost of the RT- PCR Test is a major factor preventing the local tourists from ultimately visiting Boracay.

Last week, I got a call from a “celebrity” friend. She is planning to celebrate her birthday on the island this November with family and friends. She told me that the unit cost of the RT-PCR Test or swab test is a whopping Php 10,000. The cost of the RT-PCR Test is way too expensive than an airline roundtrip ticket and a 5-star hotel accommodation combined. I hope the government can do something to regulate it. The swab test is non-negotiable as we strive to be COVID-free. I spoke to some of the locals. An E-trike driver told me that he would rather have less tourists than put himself and his family at risk of getting infected.

Picking Up The Pieces

Admittedly, it has been a long and arduous journey. This is true not just for me but for everyone living on the island. Seven months and counting. COVID-19 made me realize a lot of things. One of them is to seize the day. We are all on borrowed time. Let us make use of this extra time to better ourselves and our relationships.

I had to put many of my plans on hold. Some cancelled. Sad and scary even. Pushed to the wall. Helpless. Sometimes I would find myself floating in the deeper part of the sea, looking up the sky, imagining (waiting) for a comet to suddenly appear to come crashing towards me. Oh well… life goes on… Life must go on. Thanks to my family and friends who constantly remind me to keep the Faith. No way but up, Boracay. Pick up the pieces and look forward to another Boracay reopening soon… this time to the world.

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