About 1,466 displaced tourism workers in Baguio City will receive financial aid, Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said on May 31.
During turnover of the certificate of eligibility, Puyat said that this cash assistance is for the tourism workers affected by the pandemic.
Puyat also said, "We included other sectors which are indirectly related to tourism but whose financial situation also suffered when the tourism sector was affected by the pandemic."
These beneficiaries include wedding and events suppliers’ organizations, events workers associations, masseuse and tour guide associations, etc. They will all receive Php 5,000 each.
Puyat added that Baguio received 268,912 tourists in 2020. This is an 82% drop from the tourist arrival in 2019.
The city did not record a zero-tourist arrival after it decided on a "slowly, surely, safely" opening to tourists last October 2020 within the Ridge and Reef tourism bubble with the provinces of Region 1.
"I am thankful for the cash assistance to the sector," Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong said. He also added that the city's tourism sector was hit hardest by the pandemic. Businesses targeted for tourists all stopped operating during the pandemic, thus creating a domino effect on its economy.
Puyat said Baguio City played an important role in re-opening the country's tourism by being the "model" local government in tourism amid the pandemic.
"In 2020, no local government wants to open to tourism except Baguio. Because of him, sumunod na ang Region 1," Puyat said.
She added that Baguio came up with a system adopted by the other local governments which allowed them to re-open the tourism sector.
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