Senator Bam Aquino urged concerned government agencies to give sufficient assistance to displaced workers in Boracay until the tourist destination resumes operation on October 26.
“Ang kinikita ng mga manggagawa kada buwan ay dapat tumbasan ng ibibigay na tulong ng pamahalaan. We owe it to the displaced workers,” said Sen. Bam during the hearing of the Committee on Tourism hearing on the Boracay island’s closure, which started in April.
However, government agencies working on the Boracay rehabilitation admitted that their financial assistance programs are limited. DOLE’s emergency employment program for informal sector workers is only good for 30 days and beneficiaries cannot re-apply to the program.
“Kaya ba nating dagdagan ang tulong sa ating manggagawa to at least match the minimum wage? Pagdating ng Agosto, ayaw din naming marinig na wala nang natatanggap na tulong ang mga tao roon,” Sen. Bam insisted.
According to different government agencies, the Boracay closure affected around 21,286 formal workers and 4,764 informal workers. However, Malay Mayor Cecito Cawaling declared that there are around 18,000 informal workers in Boracay.
Sen. Bam urged concerned government agencies to ensure sufficient funds to cover all financial assistance given to formal and informal workers.
The senator also slammed the government for hastily closing Boracay without any clear and concrete plan on how go by its rehabilitation and how to help displaced workers.
Sen. Bam issued this pronouncement after the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) admitted that it will take more than six months, or until the end of 2019, before the drainage problem is finished.
“Bakit pa natin sinara ang Boracay at pinahirapan ang 26 thousand na mga manggagawa?” Sen. Bam asked.
“Ginawa ang pagsara na walang malasakit sa mga manggagawa. Ginawa ito na walang plano, at ngayon naghahabol ang mga ahensya sa man-made disaster na ito,” added Sen. Bam.
During the hearing, Mayor Cawaling also criticized the government’s lack of clear plan on the rehabilitation of Boracay.
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