The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Tuesday said it is fully supportive of the Department of Tourism’s (DoT) “Bayanihan sa Bukas na may Pag-asa para sa Turismo” (BBMT) project aimed at providing the much-needed assistance to tourism workers in the Davao region affected by recent disasters.

“This whole-of-government approach is in direct response to the instruction of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to help Davao region get back on its feet,” DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said.

The DSWD chief said the collaboration between the DoT and DSWD ensures that tourism workers identified by the DoT and local government units are provided with both emergency assistance and the means to rebuild their livelihood.

During the ceremonial distribution of aid in Mati, Davao Oriental, Secretary Gatchalian, together with DoT Secretary Ma. Esperanza Christina Garcia Frasco, personally handed over the agency’s emergency cash transfers (ECT) to some 1,283 workers in the tourism industry who suffered damages due to severe flooding in February this year.

Some 725 beneficiaries from Davao Oriental and 41 from Davao del Sur each received P9,960 worth of ECT while 517 recipients from Davao de Oro got P4,980 each.  

The DSWD allocated more than P10.2 million for the ECT of these tourism workers.

Gatchalian pointed out that while the DSWD has provided cash grants, the DoT, for its part, facilitated alternative skills training for the tourism industry workers.

“This project is a testament to our commitment to social welfare and development, providing both cash assistance and capacity building to the sectors that we serve,” Gatchalian said.