Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello III disclosed that 67,347 beneficiaries from the National Capital Region (NCR), Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal, collectively known as the NCR Plus, have been approved to date to receive the one-time Php 5,000 financial assistance under the DOT-DOLE Cash-For-Work Program of the Bayanihan 2.
Of this number, 6,817 beneficiaries are in Bulacan, 8,422 in Cavite, 14,161 in Laguna, 10,582 in Rizal, and 27,365 in NCR. The total disbursements amount to over Php 336.7 million as of April 6.
“We are hopeful that this financial assistance will provide some relief to our most affected stakeholders and tourism workers during these difficult times. While it may help in the short term, we believe that the best way to help stakeholders, in the long run, is to develop a tourism industry that is stronger, more resilient, and more adaptable to change,” Puyat said in her opening remarks.
DOLE Secretary Bello added that the labor department will continuously provide assistance to the tourism workers despite the increasing odds brought by the pandemic. “Rest assured that DOLE will always give its full support to our workers in need. In the coming months, as we start to put our economy on its track, we hope that our tourism stakeholders will get back on their feet, stronger than before.”
Issued in February, the DOT-DOLE Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 2021-001 (Amended Implementing Guidelines on Providing Financial Assistance and Cash-For-Work Program for Displaced Workers in the Tourism Sector) expanded its coverage of beneficiaries including Local Government-Licensed Tourism Support Service (TSS) enterprises, providers and associations of providers.
A total of 355,797 workers from 13,752 establishments, organizations, and associations nationwide, as well as 12,321 tourism workers who applied individually, have been approved to receive financial assistance with a total of Php 1.8 billion. Actual disbursement or pay-out amounts to Php 1.2 billion.
For details on how to avail of the DOT-DOLE cash program, visit https://www.facebook.com/