The Philippines’ Department of Tourism (DoT), Department of Health, and the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish the country’s first Tourist First Aid Facilities in order to elevate the safety standards in the country’s tourist destinations.
Under the MoU, the agencies will 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.
Philippines’ Tourist First Aid Facilities will be staffed by healthcare professionals and equipped with essential medical supplies and medications
According to DoT, La Union will be the first to break ground next month, with the expected completion in 1Q2025. TIEZA will be spearheading the design and construction of the facilities which will function as emergency response centres for tourists encountering accidents or injuries during their visit.
These centres 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.
The facilities will also provide preventive care, with a second floor serving as a lifeguard station or viewing deck to oversee tourist safety.
Noting the profile of incidences happening at each destination, tourism secretary Christina Garcia Frasco 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.
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, a pull-out stretcher, a CCTV camera, and a two-way communication system linking to a command centre for emergency calls.
According to Frasco, the UN 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’ tourism growth.
The Philippines’ Department of Tourism (DoT), Department of Health, and the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish the country’s first Tourist First Aid Facilities in order to elevate the safety standards in the country’s tourist destinations.
Under the MoU, the agencies will 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 DoT, La Union will be the first to break ground next month, with the expected completion in 1Q2025. TIEZA will be spearheading the design and construction of the facilities which will function as emergency response centres for tourists encountering accidents or injuries during their visit.
These centres 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.
The facilities will also provide preventive care, with a second floor serving as a lifeguard station or viewing deck to oversee tourist safety.
Noting the profile of incidences happening at each destination, tourism secretary Christina Garcia Frasco 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.
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, a pull-out stretcher, a CCTV camera, and a two-way communication system linking to a command centre for emergency calls.
According to Frasco, the UN 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’ tourism growth.