Tourists will soon see the establishment of a \u201ctourism first aid facility\u201d across major destinations in the country, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said Tuesday.<\/p>\n
At the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas in Quezon City, DOT National Capital Region Director Sharlene Zabala-Batin said this is among the many initiatives the agency is working to launch soon and would be a \u201cfirst\u201d in the country\u2019s \u201ctourism history\u201d.<\/p>\n
“Another first in our country’s tourism history, the establishment of our first aid facilities (will) ensure safety and well-being of tourists in every tourist destination in the Philippines,” she said.<\/p>\n
On top of this, Zabala-Batin said the DOT is also working with local governments to draft a tourism disaster risk reduction management operations manual.<\/p>\n
In a previous interview, DOT Region 1 Director Jeff Ortega said La Union would be among the first sites for the new first aid facility, which would be complete with defibrillator and other essential equipment.<\/p>\n
Ortega said the facility would rise at a La Union beach within the year.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Another program the DOT is eyeing to rollout this year is the \u201clayover tours\u201d for travelers transiting through the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.<\/p>\n
Zabala-Batin said the DOT has conducted a benchmarking activity two weeks ago at the Incheon and Changi Airports in South Korea and Singapore, respectively.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe went to this two major airports to see how they do their transit tours and we\u2019re happy to announce that we\u2019re launching it soon,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Among those who joined the activity were representatives from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Immigration, Philippine National Police, and the DOT.<\/p>\n
The upcoming tourism program is expected to feature the newly-launched Hop-on Hop-off (HOHO) Pasay-Para\u00f1aque, also known as the Entertainment Hub route.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Zabala-Batin said the DOT also hopes to launch this year or in 2025 three more HOHO hubs to cover destinations in Taguig, Quezon City, Pasig, San Juan and Mandaluyong.<\/p>\n
Since its inception in 2023, the DOT\u2019s HOHO program has booked about 2,000 foreign and local passengers.<\/p>\n
The Philippines Hop-On-Hop-Off Travel by the Hubs operates through designated hubs, where tourists have the freedom to choose their preferred destination and duration of stay.<\/p>\n
Bookings can be made through Klook or the HOHO\u2019s website and mobile application. (PNA)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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