DOLE eyes reaching out to 25,000 displaced workers due to Boracay closure

MANILA, Philippines —The Labor department has bared that close to only 6,000 out of 25,000 displaced workers who have been displaced due to the closure of Boracay island have availed the government’s livelihood program so far, but some senators questioned officials for not having a concrete masterplan before its closure.

In a Senate committee hearing on Wednesday which centered on the sewerage system of Boracay island, the Department of Labor and Employment said they are still in the process of reaching out to those who have yet to avail the government’s livelihood program for displaced workers, which has an allocated budget of P450 million.

Sen. Cynthia Villar, chairperson of the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, said responsibility should be divided between the two water concessionaires of Boracay so as to avoid confusion.

“Talagang ang mga tao sa Pilipinas pasaway din. Pero kung ang gobyerno ay hindi maayos, lalong nagiging pasaway. Kung maayos yung sistema niyo at itinuturo niyo ang gagawin nila, then puwede niyo na i-penalize yung mga pasaway pero paano niyo ipe-penalize kung kayo rin magulo?” the senator asked.

Sens. Antonio Trillanes IV and Franklin Drilon, however, scored officials for the lack of a concrete master plan and an authority in charge of the rehabilitation before closing down the island.

Trillanes said the country suffers up to an estimated P10 billion a month with the closure of the country’s top tourism hub.

“Supposedly we’re losing P5 to 10 billion a month which translates to P170 million a day. Kada isang araw hindi pa pala kayo ready eh bakit niyo sinara? Anong explanation bakit niyo sinara eh wala pa pala kayong master plan?” he asked.

Drilon, on the other hand, said the government has to ensure that it would not repeat the mistakes it did in the past in managing the “jewel in our country’s tourism industry.”

“We cannot finish in six months what we failed to do in several decades. The Boracay was the jewel in our country’s [tourism] industry. We have to make sure not to repeat the errors and mistakes,” he said.

President Rodrigo Duterte placed Boracay island under a state of calamity by Proclamation No. 475 on April 26. The said proclamation officially closed the world-famed island to tourists to allow environmental rehabilitation for the next six months.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government said they are targeting a soft opening of the island by the first week of September. — with Philstar.com intern Christian de Lano M. Deiparine

Related video: