More than 10 thousand tourism workers in Western Visayas have received financial assistance from the national government.

Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said about 10,180 workers who were displaced by the COVID-19 pandemic benefitted from the COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP).

Each worker gets a one-time P5,000 cash assistance. A total of P50.9 million has so far been released for the program.

The cash aid distribution was implemented through the Joint Memorandum Circular 2020-001 signed by DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III and DOT Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat.

“This is part of our ongoing efforts to support our displaced tourism workforce,” Puyat said in a press conference in Bacolod City on Jan. 19.

The tourism secretary thanked Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson for helping the DOT in providing assistance to more displaced tourism workers in the province.IMT