MANILA, Philippines (Updated 10:16 p.m.)— The Department of Tourism on Wednesday confirmed that three tourists who entered Boracay island with counterfeit RT-PCR (Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) test results tested positive for COVID-19.
The DOT said its Boracay unit is already coordinating with the Municipality of Malay health authorities for contact tracing and monitoring of the concerned tourists who are currently quarantined at the Aklan Training Center.
Three other tourists earlier falsified their RT-PCR test results in December. The six tourists were arrested by Malay police.
They violated Republic Act 11332, or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act, and Republic Act 11469, or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, for submitting fake documents.
In light of this, the DOT once again reminded local tourists that they may face imprisonment for faking their COVID-19 test results.
“The Department of Tourism appeals to travelers to stop forging and faking travel documents, else face fines and proper criminal charges from the local government unit, which may include the penalty of imprisonment,” it said in a statement.
Likewise, the tourism department also urged its partner in the local government unit to tighten their assessment of applications made through their respective registration system.
Malay Acting Municipal Mayor Frolibar Bautista has yet to respond to Philstar.com’s request for comment into the new development in the cases of falsified COVID-19 tests.
Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat last month issued a stern warning to those who are planning to fake their COVID-19 test results.
“Every time you go to a tourist destination and you faked your test, you are not only endangering yourself, but also the locals,” she said in a press conference last January 12.
The DOT has partnered with the—Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) and the Philippine Children’s Medical Hospital (PCMC) for subsidized RT-PCR tests.
It reminds the public that the subsidized COVID-19 tests are available at P900 and P750 in UP-PGH and PCMC, respectively.