The Department of Tourism (DoT) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) have formally inked an agreement to help tourism workers affected by natural calamities, disasters, and emergencies through the availing of financial and training assistance from the said cabinet agencies.

Recently, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco and Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian formally sealed the memorandum of agreement (MoA) on the Bayanihan sa Bukas na may Pag-asa sa Turismo (BBMT) program.

Undersecretaries Shahlimar Hofer Tamano and Diana Rose Cajipe were also present and served as witnesses.

According to the MoA, qualified tourism front liners may now avail of the DSWD’s existing cash assistance programs, including the Emergency Cash Transfers (ECT) and Cash for Work, while simultaneously receiving the DoT interventions on alternative livelihood training programs like a basic hilot; candle making; beads and artwork training; basic bread and pastry making; detergent making; fun farm tour product development; tourism awareness and tourist reception seminar; community-based culinary; and the Filipino brand of Service Excellence, if their usual sources of livelihood have been disrupted by calamities and emergencies, including those affected by the recent eruption of Mt. Kanlaon in Negros Occidental.

Moreover, the partnership seeks potential program participants who can be disaster-qualified tourism workers listed under the Listahanan 3; other qualified household beneficiaries under a standardized/unified targeting system used by the DSWD; other criteria prescribed in other disaster risk reduction guidelines that will be promulgated in the future; resident workers in tourism destinations or attractions; members of a community-based tourism organization or beneficiaries jointly approved by the DSWD and DoT; or may be affected by calamities or emergencies that disrupted their livelihood as tourism service providers.

“I’m so grateful to Secretary Rex Gatchalian and to the entire team of the DSWD for the culmination of months of coordination that will benefit thousands of tourism workers across the country,” Secretary Frasco said in her speech during the signing ceremony held in Pasay City.

“Tourism is such a reliable source of livelihood and a reliable pillar of our economy that notwithstanding climate-related disasters, it can continue to provide a source of employment and income. And what the partnership with the DSWD will do is that it will capacitate the DoT as well to come in and to provide the assistance that’s necessary for them to go on with their lives and continue 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 is a concrete demonstration of the result of the government interventions given to our tourism workers. In the DoT, we are committed to continuing to uplift the lives of Filipino tourism workers all over the country and to capacitate them with skills that will ensure that tourism continues to be a positive force in their lives and the transformation of the quality of lives of their families,” she added.

For his part, Secretary 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 groundbreaking partnership that will help our dedicated workers in the tourism industry. The tourism sector is undeniably a cornerstone of our economy. The tireless efforts of our tourism workers have played a crucial role in showcasing the beauty of the Philippines. However, because of the recent disasters that hit the country due to national calamity and natural and manmade hazards that were further aggravated by the effects of climate change, it is unfortunate to witness the devastating impacts of calamities in our poor communities. Part of these communities that are directly affected whenever we have disasters are the workers in the tourism center since their families, homes, and properties are not the only ones that are affected, but also their way of life.”

“We are very excited that this partnership is a synergy of your vision with our mandate and making sure that we efficiently use government resources to reach as many communities to help as to many distinct communities there are in the country. In response, the DSWD is proud to partner with the DoT to implement the Bayanihan sa Bukas na may Pag-asa sa Turismo” or the BBMT,” he added.

Last 27 May 2024, both Secretaries attended the pilot run of the BBMT to give financial and training assistance to the victims of widespread flooding in several areas of the Davao Region and Agusan Del Sur in the Caraga region in early February 2024. The ceremony was held in Mati City, Davao Oriental.