TACLOBAN CITY – At least 17,791 tourism workers in
Eastern Visayas have received P88.95 million cash grant under the Department of Tourism (DOT) coronavirus disease
2019 adjustment measures (CAMP) program this year, the
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reported on
Friday(July 2).
As of June 30, the DOLE regional office here has facilitated
the payment of cash aid to the tourism workers from the region’s
six provinces displaced by the health crisis.
Funded under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act, beneficiaries receive a one-time P5,000 financial support from the
central government, DOLE Eastern Visayas regional director
Henry John Jalbuena said in a media statement.
“DOLE will remain true to its mandate amidst this pandemic
and we will continue to implement our programs and services for
the benefit of our workers here in the region,” Jalbuena said.
In a phone interview, DOT Eastern Visayas regional director Karina Rosa Tiopes thanked the DOLE for working for the
release of funds for workers identified by local government units
as displaced by the pandemic.
“We all know that tourism is one of the most affected industries
during this pandemic particularly our community-based organizations. Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo- Puyat made sure that
these workers will really benefit from the CAMP 2 program of this
administration. It’s a challenge to help nearly 18,000 individuals
upload their applications for them to benefit from this financial
assistance,” Tiopes said.
She urged recipients to use the cash aid to rebuild their livelihood shattered by movement restrictions.
CAMP was first implemented in 2020 benefitting 20,092
displaced private workers in the region.
This year, through the DOLE-DOT Joint Memorandum
Circular No. 2021-001, displaced tourism sector workers were
included in the cash distribution.
Specifically, recipients are displaced accredited or licensed
tour guides; employees of DOT-accredited primary and secondary tourism enterprises; local government unit-licensed primary
tourism enterprises; and members of registered community-based
tourism organizations. (Sarwell Q. Meniano/PNA)
