Robredo on Boracay rehab: Don’t forget to aid displaced workers

Vice President Leni Robredo has urged the Duterte administration to provide jobs for the displaced workers of Boracay island.

Robredo, who visited Caticlan in Malay, Aklan on Thursday for a leadership summit, noted that jobs have been scarce for many on Boracay since the island’s rehabilitation resulted in the reduction of allowed tour guides, a decreased number of accredited hotels, and the banning of vendors and fire dancers along the white sand beaches.

"Ngayon bukas na iyong Boracay, akala ko nga wala nang problema, pero ang report dito, parang hindi na na-accommodate lahat na dati doon nagtatrabaho," Robredo said.

"So sana magkaroon ng programa, na gawan ng paraan na iyong hindi na ma-a-accommodate, makahanap ng alternative means of livelihood, sa tulong ng pamahalaan."

Robredo added that her office will also help, but noted its limitations due to lack of funds.

"So dependent din kami sa private sector help. Pero sana, halimbawa DSWD, magkaroon hindi lang pagbigay ng pansamantala, pero pag-aralan talaga paano sila makakahanap ng alternative means of livelihood. Very promising naman iyong Boracay kasi ang daming turista, so kung hindi puwedeng tour guide, ano ba iyong puwede?" she said.

Robredo underscored that finding jobs for the locals is crucial, considering that the island’s closure from April until its reopening last October 26 coincided with the enrollment of students in school.

“Kailangan seryosohin, kasi nagkukuwento nga sila na apektado pati pag-aaral ng mga anak, kasi na-timing iyong closure…April iyong closure, pasukan ng June, maraming naapektuhan na hindi naasikaso iyong pag-enrol ng mga anak. Kasi ito [‘yung mga] day-to-day iyong pag-asa sa kita nila. So iyon ang panawagan natin,” Robredo said.

“Sana sa lalong madaling panahon, maasikaso [ang pagbibigay ng trabaho], kasi kawawa naman [ang mga tao],” Robredo added.

Based on government records, there were 15,000 hotel rooms in Boracay prior to its closure for rehabilitation. When it reopened on October 26, the available hotel rooms in Boracay had been reduced to 5,000.

DENR Undersecretary Jonas Leones said in a press conference on October 23 that job losses in Boracay are inevitable because most of the island's workers are employed by hotels, and only some hotels have been found to comply with regulations enough to be allowed to operate again.

“Tinatanong mo sa amin kung may mga workers na na-displace, palagay ko meron ding madi-displace because most of these workers were employed doon sa mga hotels, hotels na not compliant.  So ang magtatrabaho lang talaga siguro ang tingin namin iyong compliant at dati nilang mga tauhan,” Leones said.

“But ang assurance diyan, if the hotels can comply with the requirements of the three agencies and then they will have at least authority to rehire these mga workers nila. But for the meantime, kung wala naman silang trabaho doon, wala naman talagang magagawa doon,” Leones added. — BM, GMA News