Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 15) – About 600,000 displaced workers from the tourism sector have received ₱5,000 under the Department of Labor and Employment’s work-for-pay program.
“Out of the P3 billion, the payout would be ₱5,000 per displaced tourism worker, for work-for-pay, that would amount to 600,000 workers,” said Rizal Rep. Michael Duavit, who sponsored the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) proposed budget for 2021 during the third day of special session on Thursday.
Republic Act No. 11494 or the “Bayanihan to Recover As One Act”, which seeks to help the country recover from losses brought by the pandemic, has allocated ₱3 billion to assist affected workers in the tourism industry through the work-for-pay program.
Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat recently said that some 4.8 million tourism workers have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said that some 3.5 million workers were displaced by the global health and economic crisis. He noted that around 300,000 permanently lost their jobs, while 1.5 million were temporarily displaced.
Duavit said the DOT is hoping that the opening of so-called tourism bubbles would help restore jobs and livelihoods.
“We are hoping, with the opening of tourism bubbles and praying for the improvement in the COVID situation, that more of them will be able to go back to work,” he said.
Meanwhile, Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas said that more assistance should be extended to affected tourism workers.
“Sana ay mabigyan pa ng susunod na ayuda, na direktang makikinabang ang ating mga manggagawa sa turismo,” Brosas said. “Kailangan natin tulungan yung mga na-lockdown diyan sa tourism sector, especially kung di sila nakakuha ng SAP [social amelioration program] at naka-avail ng COVID-19 response na package.”
[Translation: I hope our tourism workers will receive forthcoming assistance. We need to help those who were affected by the lockdown, especially if they have not received SAP or availed of the COVID-19 response package.]
