INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Tourism workers who have been affected by the massive oil spill that ensued in Oriental Mindoro will be trained for alternative livelihoods, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said.
Based on the DOT’s latest monitoring, the oil spill affected 63 tourism sites and up to 1,000 tourism workers.
The affected tourism workers will undergo capacity building and skills training programs which will be conducted by the DOT’s regional offices.
“At this point, it’s really about ensuring that our tourism frontline workers na kung mawalan man sila ng (that if they lose) work for a few days or weeks because of the oil spill that we are able to provide them with alternative sources of livelihood and that is why we will be providing trainings to them, not just specifically focused on their present work but to alternative types of work,” DOT Secretary Christina Frasco said in an interview on Teleradyo on Monday.
The DOT regional offices were likewise ordered to make a recovery action plan.
“I’ve already directed the regional offices to craft a recovery action plan para naman po mabigyan natin ng (to give) guidance ‘yung ating mga (to our) affected tourism stakeholders and we are sure to provide social protection sa ating mga (to our) affected tourism workers,” said Frasco.
The tourism workers may also avail of the Tulong PanghanapBuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (Tupad) program of the Department of Labor and Employment with the assistance of the DOT.
Frasco said that she tasked their regional offices, specifically Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) and Western Visayas, to list the names of affected tourism workers for them to be endorsed for the Tupad program.
Further, the DOT will hold a learning needs assessment to craft a training module on oil spill in order for tourism stakeholders to know what they could do should another oil leak occur.
MT Princess Empire, a tanker carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel, submerged off Oriental Mindoro on February 28, causing a huge oil spill which has reached parts of Batangas, Palawan, and Antique.
At least 77 coastal villages in Oriental Mindoro were placed under a state of calamity.