Medical aid for young pushed tourists

Three senators have submitted separate laws to ensure local and foreign tourists, especially children, have access to medical and emergency services.

The Philippine Statistics Authority reported that out of the 3,604 deaths by drowning or accidental submersion in 2021, 1,056 or about one third of the victims had children between the ages of 1 and 14.

Senator Risa Hontiveros, the chairman of the Senate Commission for Women and Children, organized a hearing on the Senate draft (SB) 2971 or the proposed law for the tourist safety of children, which he wrote.

He also addressed SB 2401, or the law on the protection of the proposed women and children, and SB 2256, or the law proposed by the alert of the Philippine Chamber, submitted by the senators Loren and, respectively, Mark Villar.

Hontiveros listened to officials from health departments (Doh) and tourism, because they presented measures to ensure the safety of local and foreign tourists in the country.

“It is very good to hear that this year (Doh) will come with an administrative order on a strategic framework for health and tourism,” she said.

She said that while the Philippines is popular for its beaches and other tourist destinations, tourists, especially children, are facing risks associated with accidental drowning, jellyfish stings and animal bites, spine injuries and infectious diseases while on vacation.

“The drowning was listed as the second main cause of death among children from five to nine years for the same year,” Hontiveros said.

She said that SB 2971 is trying to prevent, mitigate and respond to the risks affecting children and other visitors to the Philippine tourist destinations, ensuring that they have access to adequate medical and emergency services, as well as to medicines and life rescue facilities.