DOT, DSWD Partner to Support Tourism Workers in Disasters

Tourism workers affected by disasters can now receive financial aid and training through a partnership between the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco and Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian signed an agreement for the Bayanihan sa Bukas na may Pag-asa sa Turismo (BBMT) program on January 23.

Eligible tourism workers can access DSWD’s cash assistance programs, including Emergency Cash Transfers (ECT) and Cash for Work. The DOT will provide training in alternative livelihoods like massage, candle making, beadwork, bread and pastry making, detergent making, farm tourism, and community-based culinary skills. This will help those whose jobs were disrupted by calamities, including those affected by the Mt. Kanlaon eruption in Negros Occidental.

“I’m so grateful for this partnership, which will benefit thousands of tourism workers across the country,” Secretary Frasco said.

“The tourism sector is a cornerstone of our economy, but disasters impact not just their homes but also their livelihoods,” Secretary Gatchalian noted.

On May 27, 2024, both secretaries joined the pilot run of BBMT, providing financial and training assistance to flood victims in the Davao Region and Agusan del Sur. (ASC)