LEGAZPI CITY – Some employers in the tourism sector on the island province of Catanduanes have paid their employees a month in advance after the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine was ordered to contain the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) affect Luzon.
Carmel Garcia, tourism officer of Catanduanes, said owners of private establishments paid their employees’ salaries in advance to help them cope.
“Since operations are stopped and there are no guests, out of humanitarian consideration, and most of them are in no work, no pay basis because they are not yet regular employees,” Garcia said.
The projected loss of the tourism sector was placed at P50 million throughout the month of the quarantine.
She said that tourism establishments and tourism sites in Catanduanes were also closed to domestic and foreign tourists.
“All the tourism sites are in total closure. We no longer accept tourists whether domestic or foreign,” Garcia told Inquirer in a phone interview.