President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. together with Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco personally awarded training grants to 1,197 affected tourism workers in Aurora under the Bayanihan sa Bukas na May Pag-asa para sa Turismo (BBMT) program.
This government initiative provides financial aid and skills training to help tourism communities recover from calamities.
In her message, Frasco lauded Aurora’s resilience in the face of repeated natural disasters, describing that the province’s true strength lies not in the storms it has endured, but in the unwavering hope of its people further reinforced by government support through programs like BBMT.
The tourism chief emphasized that the BBMT program, jointly implemented by the DOT and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), fulfills the President’s directive to ensure that tourism workers receive sustained assistance through cash aid, training, and capacity-building initiatives.
“Tourism must take care of its own.”
“Ang turismo ay hindi lang tungkol sa pagdating ng mga bisita, kung hindi tungkol sa tao at sa kabuhayan. Milyun-milyong Pilipinong 𝑎𝑛𝑔 umaasa dito, kaya nararapat lamang na pahalagahan at alagaan ang mga manggagawang bumubuhay sa ating industriya. As President Marcos has 𝑎𝑙𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 reminded us, tourism must take care of its own, sa ilalim ng kanyang pamumuno higit na pinagtibay ang mensahe na hindi lamang turista ang pinapahalagahan, kung hindi pati na rin ang mga manggagawang Pilipino na bumubuhay sa ating industriya,” the tourism head said.
“The government is extending unprecedented care and compassion and protection to our tourism workers.”
“Under our President’s leadership, the government is extending unprecedented care and compassion and protection to our tourism workers, ensuring that they are not only recognized in times of prosperity, but especially supported, most especially in times of hardship,” she added.
The program likewise provides training on alternative livelihood skills such as bread and pastry making, detergent- and candle-making, hilot, beadwork, and massage oil production.
Frasco concluded by paying tribute to the tourism workers present, calling them the heart of the industry, whose hard work and resilience continue to inspire, and whose dedication remains among the many reasons people visit and love the Philippines.
