Tourism Minister Bernadette Romulo-Puyat carves a “Bulol” with National Artist for Film Kidlat
Quiet and innovative artist village.

We spent most of the summer months indoors under strict community quarantine, both this year and last. This was an essential measure to contain the alarming surge we were seeing with new variants of the virus.

But after each hibernation comes a slow awakening as people emerge from their homes and gradually resume business and social activities.

When NCR Plus moved into general quarantine (GCQ) with tightened restrictions, the Intramuros administration opened two of their locations, Fort Santiago and Baluarte de San Diego, with a tribute to the men and women behind Intramuros, workers from the informal tourism industry, whose livelihoods have been destroyed.

A total of 295 workers, including 138 Carinderia and outpatient salespeople, 87 security staff, 20 caretakers, 20 cyclists accredited by the Ministry of Tourism (DOT) and 30 Calesa drivers, received a one-time handout amounting to P5,000 from DOT-DOLE (Department of Labor and Employment) Cash Assistance Program.

Under the Bayanihan-2 Act, pesos 3.1 billion was provided in cash for displaced tourism workers. In all of our regions we have paid out funds to golf caddies, surf instructors, tour guides, wedding providers, blind masseurs and even media frontliners, all of whom have been hit by the pandemic and loss of tourism.

Since we started distributing the financial aid in April, we have supported more than 557,359 workers from 19,463 companies, organizations and associations as well as 18,675 tourism workers who have applied individually. It’s a small amount to help beneficiaries get through the short term period, with our ultimate goal being to reopen our destinations and resume tourism.

Safely and gradually

The seemingly endless cycles of opening and closing and the waves of ups and downs have made restarting tourism very difficult, but I am determined to get the industry back on its feet. The DOT continues to inspect and validate travel destinations across the country to support their safe and gradual reopening while also awarding beneficiaries from the region.

I recently visited Marinduque, a small island whose tourism sector lost 400 million pesos in revenue in 2020. With House Speaker Lord Velasco and Governor Presby Velasco as my tour guides, I was also able to explore the many attractions of the province. It’s a perfect place to visit as soon as the island opens its doors. It welcomes you with the charming marinduqueño ceremony Putong or Tubong, where guests are serenaded and crowned.

Famous for its Moriones Festival, Marinduque also has many beautiful beaches, undiscovered dive sites, underground rivers and caves, a historic district and huge butterfly farms. The top of the mountain. Not only does Mataas offer magnificent views, but it is also the location of the Luzon Date of 1911, which is considered the geodetic center of the Philippines.

Help

In early June, I went to Baguio to honor 10 organizations representing 1,556 beneficiaries from the arts, events, night markets and other sectors for services that serve as the backbone of the tourism industry.

A total of 32,000 displaced workers are receiving aid in the Cordillera region. The National Artist for Film Kidlat Tahimik was present on behalf of the Vocas Foundation by local artists who have contributed a lot to tourism but were also unduly affected by the pandemic.

Thank you Tatay Kidlat for the opportunity to try carving a bulol in your ili-likha workshop. I have the greatest respect for your craftsmen!

Our long-term recreation projects involve developing new tourism circles that incorporate activities and attractions that suit the changing preferences of travelers. In the Cordilleras, cyclists can explore the Tinoc, Ifugao and Kabayan, Benguet highlands.

Now that travel restrictions have been eased, I encourage people to take this opportunity to stretch their caged legs and help bring our empty tourist spots to life – but in a safe way.

Vaccinated workers

Vaccination is a critical and extremely urgent step in reducing infection and getting the economy back on the road, and I hope that more people will be less reluctant to get vaccination now that there is strong evidence of its effectiveness.

I am very pleased that at the time of this writing we have already vaccinated at least 4,209 class A1 or A4 tourism workers who are also employed in DOT-accredited and LGU-licensed quarantine and isolation facilities as non-quarantine DOT-accredited and simply registered accommodation establishments. These tourism frontliners need to connect with travelers from around the world – last month we marked the one-millionth returning overseas Filipino that was wiped – and they deserve to be protected.

As we step into a less restrictive GCQ, it feels like we’re starting all over again. This time, let’s keep it safe and let it count – not just for our mental health, but for all Filipinos whose livelihoods depend on tourism. – CONTRIBUTED INQ

The author is the Minister of Tourism.

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