Published July 16, 2021, 10:59 AM Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat on Friday, July 16 urged health facilities to lower the cost of their swab tests to encourage more people to travel and hasten the recovery of the tourism industry from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. (Jansen Romero/ File photo/ MANILA BULLETIN) Puyat said a cheaper option will lead to more domestic trips without sacrificing the test-before-travel requirement of most local government units (LGUs) as COVID-19 testing remains “expensive and out-of-reach” for budget-conscious travelers. “The added cost of COVID-19 tests can be quite significant especially for big families traveling together. A slash in the cost of RT-PCR tests would encourage more travelers to pursue their travel plans,” Puyat explained.