News and Updates
Puyat encourages affected tourism workforce to avail of the expanded DOT-DOLE financial assistance
The Department of Tourism (DOT) reaches out to tourism workers who were affected by the closure of establishments or those which scaled down operations, to immediately avail of the expanded financial assistance as part of the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act interventions to address the pandemic’s impact on Philippine tourism.
Under a Joint Advisory (JA) between the DOT and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), titled Expanded Coverage of Beneficiaries Under DOLE-DOT Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 2020-001, the financial assistance program now extends to 1) beneficiaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Social Amelioration Program (SAP) and COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP) under BAYANIHAN 1; 2) workers of affected establishments that implemented Flexible Work Arrangements or Alternative Work Schemes; and, 3) LGU-Licensed Secondary Tourism Enterprises.
“This initiative will widen the scope of recipients of this financial assistance program and accommodate those who have already availed of existing programs open to the tourism sector. Hopefully, the program’s take-up rate significantly improves to reach more members of the micro-, small- and medium-enterprises (MSMEs) and more importantly, those belonging to the informal sector,” Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat explained.
The tourism chief urged the tourism enterprises, associations and local government units (LGUs) to help in providing the necessary documentary requirements for their affected employees or members.
The expanded coverage also allows for the issuance by the DOT of training vouchers to endorsed tour guide associations or groups for the conduct of a relevant training for its qualified members no later than 30 June 2021. In effect, the tour guide applicant may already avail of the financial assistance prior to the DOT-spearheaded training to be undertaken within the prescribed period.
The JA further deems valid and enforceable the other provisions of the DOLE-DOT Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2020-001.
As provided for in the said JMC, the following persons remain as the primary beneficiaries of the program:
1. Displaced DOT-accredited and local government unit (LGU)-Licensed Tour Guides
2. Displaced employees of DOT-accredited Primary Tourism Enterprises
3. Displaced employees of DOT-accredited Secondary Tourism Enterprises
4. LGU-Licensed Primary Tourism Enterprises (primary tourism enterprises, and tourism trainers that are not accredited by DOT but are registered by their LGUs)
5. Members of registered Community-Based Tourism Organizations (CBTOs) (organized groups in a community exclusively serving tourists in an attraction or destination duly registered with the relevant National Government Agency or the relevant LGU)
“We continue to assist our LGUs in slowly opening their tourism destinations in order to restore businesses, livelihood and jobs. Meanwhile, we hope that this program, along with other COVID-related schemes of assistance, will be warmly welcomed by our workers to tide them over this Christmas,” Secretary Puyat added.
For more details, visit the DOT Facebook page – Department of Tourism – Philippines and contact the designated focal persons cited in the Regional Office Directory.
Published:January 14, 2021
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