Cebu Pacific now offers Antigen tests for only PHP 700
Aviation Updates Philippines – The
Philippines' leading carrier, Cebu Pacific (PSE: CEB), commercially launches its
Test Before Boarding (TBB) process for passengers flying from Manila, after its
successful pilot run with the local government of General Santos. This process
makes use of an antigen test taken just hours before the scheduled time of
departure, with results released within 30 minutes.
CEB offers this antigen test for only PHP 700, the lowest rate in the
industry. The TBB testing facility at the NAIA Terminal 3 is now open for
walk-ins from 2AM to 2PM daily. CEB passengers will only have to register
onsite and pay the fee directly to CEB's diagnostic partner, Philippine
Airport Diagnostic Laboratory (PADL).
Throughout the pilot run, CEB tested a total of 1,143 passengers, three of
whom tested positive and were not allowed to proceed with their flight. Only
those who tested negative were allowed to board the aircraft. Subsequently,
based on the data provided by the local government of GenSan, CEB passengers
were retested after their 7-day quarantine and results were still negative,
showing consistency with the earlier results of the TBB process.
"Following the successful TBB pilot, Cebu Pacific is ready to offer this
option to all their passengers. We are urging everyjuan to take advantage of
this convenient alternative, especially since the testing site is
strategically located at the airport, making the whole process easy and
hassle-free for our residents," said Mayor Ronnel Rivera of General Santos
City.
Apart from General Santos, the local governments of Butuan, Dipolog, and
Pagadian also accept negative antigen test results as a pre-travel
requirement. CEB passengers going to these destinations may also conveniently
avail of the TBB beginning today.
Affordable RT-PCR tests
To date, a number of local and international destinations require negative
RT-PCR test results prior to entry. As such, CEB has ensured this need is
fully covered as it offers RT-PCR tests for only PHP 3,300 via its three
partner laboratories, namely PADL, Health Metrics, Inc. (HMI), and Safeguard
DNA Diagnostics Inc. (SDDI).
Passengers booked on Cebu Pacific and Cebgo can easily choose and book
appointments via
https://bit.ly/CEBFlightReminders. One will simply have to click on the "Testing Options" tab and choose from
any of those in the list. From there, they will be redirected to each
laboratory's page to finalize their schedule online.
"We remain committed to making flights affordable for everyJuan and seeing
that testing is required by a number of destinations at the moment, we have
partnered with accredited laboratories that may offer affordable testing
options. We look forward to the day trust and confidence in air travel have
been restored, but until then, let us all work together towards that," said
Candice Iyog, CEB vice president for Marketing and Customer Experience.
Domestic tourists may also avail of a subsidized RT-PCR test at the UP
Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH). 50% of the original cost will be
subsidized by the Department of Tourism (DOT) through the Tourism Promotions
Board (TPB), leaving only PHP 900 to be paid for by the passenger. Those who
wish to apply for this must register five (5) days before their trip via
www.tpb.gov.ph/rtpcrphtravel
Testing is just one out of the three key steps CEB strictly implements to
regain passenger confidence. Other approaches include safety and sanitation,
as well as track and trace. CEB continues to implement a multi-layered
approach to safety and has been rated 7/7 stars by airlineratings.com for its
COVID-19 compliance. Passengers are also constantly reminded to register in
the Department of Transportation's Traze App for a more efficient contact
tracing process.
Guests are still strongly urged to always check with the concerned LGU for
latest updates. For a list of travel requirements, testing options,
flexibility options and frequently asked questions, passengers are encouraged
to visit
https://bit.ly/CEBFlightReminders.
Press release from Cebu Pacific Corporate
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