Yes! You read it right. Surigao del Norte Gov. Francisco Matugas on Tuesday has approved a memorandum allowing COVID-19 saliva test as a substitute for the usual RT-PCR-test as a pre-requisite for travelers visiting the province.
The memorandum reads: “A negative result on COVID-19 Saliva Test shall now be accepted in lieu of the negative result in reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction test requirement for passengers in Surigao del Norte through Surigao City Airport and Siargao Island Airport,” the memorandum order 21-015 made public on Wednesday read.”
Read the complete memorandum order here:
This is good news for those planning to visit Siargao. Not only it is cheaper than most RT-PCR tests, it is also less invasive. Saliva testing costs between P1,500.00 to P2,000.00 while RT-PCR tests may cost between P 3,000.00 to P 5,000.00. Note that there is already a government subsidized RT-PCR test for those who will still prefer swab testing.
This is truly good news! See you Siargao soon? We’ll see. 😀
