The Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development – DSWD formally signed a partnership to provide alternative livelihood assistance to ensure the continuity of jobs and opportunities for tourism workers affected by calamities, disasters, and emergencies.
This will also allow support to community-based tourism organizations (CBTOs) and small tourism business enterprises and give qualified program beneficiaries access to sustainable livelihood programs.
The ceremonial signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on the joint program, Bayanihan sa Bukas na ay Pag-asa sa Turismo (BBMT), was led by Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco and Social Welfare and Development Secretary REX Gatchalian, with Undersecretaries Shahlimar Hofer Tamano and Diana Rose Cajipe serving as witnesses.
“I’m so grateful to Secretary Rex Gatchalian and to the entire team of the DSWD for the culminationof months of coordination that will benefit thousands of tourism workers across the country,” Frasco opened her speech during the ceremony held in Pasay City.
“What the partnership with the DSWD will do is that it will capacitate the DOT as well to come inand to provide the assistance that’s necessary for them to go on with their lives and continue tohave sources of livelihood.”
“Tourism is such a reliable source of livelihood and a reliable pillar of our economy, thatnotwithstanding climate-related disasters, it can continue to provide a source of employment andincome. And what the partnership with the DSWD will do is that it will capacitate the DOT as wellto come in and to provide the assistance that’s necessary for them to go on with their lives andcontinue to have sources of livelihood,” she emphasized, noting that the partnership is just the beginning of more collaborations with the DSWD.
“Through this partnership, we can also see where national government funding goes- that there isa concrete demonstration of the result of the government interventions given to our tourismworkers. In the DOT, we are committed to continuing to uplift the lives of Filipino tourism workersall over the country, and to capacitate them with skills that will ensure that tourism continues to bea positive force in their lives and the transformation of the quality of lives of their families,” the tourism chief added.
For his part, Gatchalian said that this partnership ensures that the marginalized, those affected by natural calamities, or those with a greater poverty issue, are directly impacted by the financial capacities of the DSWD.
“I would like to express our gratitude to the Department of Tourism for this groundbreakingpartnership that will help our dedicated workers in the tourism industry. The tourism sector isundeniably a cornerstone of our economy. The tireless efforts of our tourism workers have played acrucial role in showcasing the beauty of the Philippines. However, because of the recent disastersthat hit the country due to national calamity, and natural and manmade hazards that were furtheraggravated by the effects of climate change, it is unfortunate to witness the devastating impacts ofcalamities in our poor communities. Part of these communities that are directly affected wheneverwe have disasters are the workers in the tourism center since their families, homes, and propertiesare not the only ones that are affected, but also their way of life,” the DSWD chief said.
“The DSWD is proud to partner with the DOT to implement the Bayanihan sa Bukas na may Pag-asa sa Turismo or the BBMT.”
“We are very excited that this partnership is a synergy of your vision with our mandate, and makingsure that we efficiently use government resources to reach as many communities to help as tomany distinct communities there are in the country. In response, the DSWD is proud to partner withthe DOT to implement the Bayanihan sa Bukas na may Pag-asa sa Turismo or the BBMT,” he added.
