The Philippines’ leading carrier, Cebu Pacific pilots Test Before Boarding (TBB) for its flight to General Santos City.
Over 290 passengers went through antigen testing just hours before their scheduled flight, free-of-charge. Tests were conducted by DOH-accredited Philippine Airport Diagnostic Laboratory (PADL).
“Today marks an important day for domestic air travel with the pilot of TBB, as testing is made more accessible because of the speed and affordability of Antigen testing. This too is a testament of what a successful multi-stakeholder collaboration can do for our industry, and for this we acknowledge PADL, who is our diagnostic partner, and the local government of General Santos, who have been leading this process with us so we can safely and confidently start domestic air travel,” said Candice Iyog, CEB Vice President for Marketing and Customer Experience.
The local government of General Santos commends CEB for initiating TBB, saying this will be a big help to the LGU in its fight against to COVID-19. “This program adds a layer of protection and comfort in our effort to identify people that are infected so we can isolate and treat them. As local chief executive, it is my wish that this program succeeds. I commend CEB for coming up with this innovative program,” said Hon. Ronnel Rivera, Mayor of General Santos City.
The PADL shares that they are grateful and privileged to be chosen as CEB’s laboratory partner for this pilot run. “We at PADL can proudly say that we are one of the safest and most efficient COVID-testing laboratories in the country. We will work together with CEB to ensure that everyone will board safely so passengers travel with peace of mind,” said Dra. Miriam “Mickey” Gonzaga, Chief Operating Officer of PADL.
TBB is set to be made available for passengers flying from Manila to General Santos City beginning today until December 14, 2020. All those flying within this two-week trial period will be tested before boarding at no additional cost. This meets the requirement for a negative result prior entry by the local government of General Santos, so passengers no longer need to take any other test prior to their flight.
