The Department of Tourism (DOT) has approved a total of P16.95 million in cash aid for 3,390 tourism workers in the province of Marinduque who were displaced by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat personally awarded on Friday, March 21, the certificates to representatives of the beneficiaries under the DOT and Department of Labor and Employment's (DOLE) financial assistance program.
This is the second tranche of the government’s economic recovery program Bayanihan 2 which allocated a total of P3 billion in direct cash assistance to displaced workers in the tourism industry, including those in the informal sector.
"The DOT will continue to do what it can to improve the state of this industry and make it stronger and more resilient to withstand further challenges and threats. We are here with you, and we are here for you," Puyat said during the ceremony held at the Provincial Capitol Park.
Based on the data from the DOT, the target number of beneficiaries in the MIMAROPA region (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan) is 67,600 with an allotted fund of P338 million.
Of the 66,127 approved applicants in the region, a total of 27,367 have received cash assistance amounting to P136.8 million while the rest are waiting for a total of P193.8 million payout.
Meanwhile, tourism businesses are also covered by the Bayanihan 2 program with 51 applications already approved for the soft loans managed by the Small Business Corporation of the Department of Trade and Industry.
A total of P16 million has been released for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the region under this soft loan facility that is interest-free and collateral-free.