Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat has assured that all workers in Bohol’s tourism industry, which has been crippled by the persisting pandemic, will get financial aid from the government.

According to Puyat, the DOT has raised an appeal to expand the program and cover all workers under the tourism sector, not just those in the hospitality industry.

“It was the Department of Tourism who asked that it [cash assistance program] be expanded, that it not only be limited to those working in the hotels, but also included yung everybody working in the tourism destinations,” Puyat said on Monday during a virtual forum on the prospects of Bohol tourism amid the pandemic.

“Kasama dito yung bangkero, even the dive instructors, tricycle drivers, those in coops, those selling sa souvenir shops, basically lahat,” she added.

The list of beneficiaries has been submitted to the Department of Employment and Labor (DOLE) but release of the fund was still awaited.

“We met a few weeks ago and we gave a good number of beneficiaries but we are still continuing sa follow up,” Puyat said.

The national government’s cash assistance will be doled out through the DOT-Department of Labor and Employment Cash Assistance Program of the Bayanihan 2.

In a statement issued earlier this month, Puyat announced that 465,530 tourism workers nationwide have been approved to receive cash assistance under the DOT-DOLE Cash Assistance Program

Puyat said that 31,712 of the identified tourism workers are from Region 7.

The program under Bayanihan 2 has an allocation of P2.3 billion. (A. Doydora)