Sec. Bernadette Romulo-Puyat is the current head of the Department of Tourism. She is one of the government officials who acknowledged and responded to the needs of the people. She is among those who chose to not get tested for COVID-19 despite being in close contact with COVID-19 positive AFP Chief General Felimon Santos Jr.
During the onset of the pandemic, “VIP testing” for government officials became controversial, and some were indeed tested. Even so, Sec. Puyat stated that she wants “to save the limited supply of testing kits to people who truly need it,” according to a post by Philippine Star. She said that she was not experiencing any symptoms and the least that she can do was to practice self-isolation.
In addition to this, DOT was one of the branches of the government that were quick to respond to the problems posed by the lockdown in Luzon. They arranged sweeper flights to transport stranded tourists in provinces to international airports. Aside from flights, they also provided land and sea transportations for those who are in Luzon and for those who are in islands, respectively. They also provided shuttle services, hotel accomodations, and food and hygiene supplies (MalasaKits) for them.
Regular sanitation, disinfection, and inspection of establishments will also be implemented once things go back to normal. They will implement the Tourism Response and Recovery Program as an answer to the impact of COVID-19. Her leadership as a government official and the effectiveness and efficiency of the DOT are truly commendable.
Sources:
https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/3/23/Senator-Tito-Sotto-coronavirus-COVID-19-test.html
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