Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat commends the combined efforts of government offices for their valuable contribution to the vaccination program that will inoculate an initial 3,000 frontline tourism workers in Boracay. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat and National Covid-19 Working Group (NTF) Deputy Chief of Implementation and Testing Vince Dizon led the tourism worker vaccination ceremony in Boracay on July 7 .
Puyat said the vaccination program initially targets 3,000 tourism workers. Of these, 2,178 are employed in accommodation establishments, 308 in restaurants and 140 in tourist transport, while 374 are front-line tourism personnel, including tour guides, boatmen, trike drivers. electrics, frontline passengers at airports and seaports, and water / water sports providers.
The workers were identified by the Malay Local Government Unit (LGU), in coordination with the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) -Boracay, and Boracay Foundation Incorporated. To reach the target beneficiaries, 500 workers should be vaccinated daily.
âI am extremely grateful to our NTF Implementation Officer and Secretary to Vaccine Czar Carlito Galvez Jr., to our Testing Czar and Deputy Chief Implementation Secretary Vince Dizon, and the rest of the world. The NTF team, for making this possible. As promised by Sec. Vince, a continuous supply of vaccine will come, until we can finally vaccinate all of Boracay, and our travel bubble dream comes true. will finally achieve, “Puyat said in his speech during the opening ceremonies.
The tourism chief said the combined efforts of DoT, NTF, Aklan Provincial Government, LGU-Malay, PCCI-Boracay, Boracay Foundation Inc. and the Compliance Association of Boracay to vaccinate workers tourism in Boracay marks the initial phase of the goal of 100 percent immunization of the 40,000 residents and workers across Malay City.
Puyat also congratulated Filinvest Hospitality via Crimson Resort and Spa Boracay for donating a total of 5,000 doses to support the initiative.
On top of all this, the DoT chief said the Tourism Promotions Board has funded 10 million pesos to conduct mass tests on tourism workers and frontline people on the island.
Puyat also led the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Safe Travels stamp award to the island of Boracay under LGU-Malay, and DoT-accredited accommodation establishments namely Le Soleil de Boracay, Discovery Shores Boracay, Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort, Hue Boracay, Wald’s Place, Amable Suites, Lime Hotel, The Lind Boracay, Movenpick Resort and Spa Boracay, Villa Camilla Beach Boutique Hotel and Belmont Hotel Boracay.
The WTTC Safe Travels stamp is the world’s first travel safety and health stamp to recognize governments and businesses that have adopted standardized global health protocols.