Vice President Leni Robredo has earned the support of tourism workers and employers for her presidential bid in the 2022 polls.

The Turismo para kay Leni, a group of workers and employers from the tourism sector, expressed their support for Robredo during a forum on Monday, Jan. 10, which was also attended by the Vice President.

"We will vote for Leni Robredo for President because she inspires - 'Ang goal natin ay maalala ng lahat na iisang bansa tayo na may iisang adhikain (Our goal is to be remembered as a nation with one goal.)'," the group said in its manifesto presented to Robredo during the event.

"We will vote for Leni Robredo for President because she will earnestly strive to be a model for good and effective governance, and strengthen institutions by professionalizing the bureaucracy in the spirit of accountability, transparency, and people empowerment," the group added.

The tourism sector expressed their belief that the Vice President will "create well-designed recovery policies focusing on collective aspirations in the spirit of bayanihan."

They believe that Robredo's "collaborative leadership" will make way for investment and inspire inclusivity that will generate and expand opportunities for the most vulnerable in society.

Robredo, on the other hand, recognized that "tourism is essential" even amid the pandemic, saying that the tourism sector's contribution to the national development is invaluable.

"So, having said that, sa akin (for me), committed yung magiging pamahalaan 'pag ako pinalad na– aasikasuhin yung sektor ninyo hanggang sa pinakamaliit. Hanggang sa pinakamaliit na miyembro ng sektor (my administration--if I am elected-- will help your sector, up to its smallest member)," Robredo said.

The aspiring President vowed to treat the tourism sector not as a beneficiary of the government but as active collaborators and partners.

During the forum, which was attended by hundreds of tourism workers, employers, and members of the academe, Robredo also highlighted her tourism plans if she wins the elections in May.

"Yung klase ng development na gusto nating ma-achieve, na yung sektor ng turismo talaga yung ating parang driving force; yung pag-create ng mga development programs; of course, yung construction and maintenance of the necessary infrastructure (The kind of development that we want to achieve is for the tourism sector to be a driving force; the creation of development programs; of course the construction and maintenance of necessary infrastructure)," she said.

The Vice President also underscored her plan to strengthen workers' social protection, especially in times of disasters such as the pandemic and typhoon Odette.

She aims to push for a subsidy program for affected employers to ensure their recovery in times like this. The government and businesses will collaborate to address unemployment and loss of income among employees.

"We will invest in re-tooling and upskilling of human resources, prioritizing skills and business development training. This includes the development of new products, services, business models, and learning programs for private and public sectors on sustainable tourism governance," Robredo said.

She also reiterated her goal to align the industry and academe to fill job vacancies with the right skills; to provide small businesses an access to government assistance programs; to prioritize safe and green infrastructure; and to create a more inclusive industry that benefits the local communities.