ILOILO CITY, Iloilo, Philippines — Business owners on Boracay Island have joined calls for legislators to allocate P10 billion as financial aid to the tourism industry instead of funding more tourism infrastructure projects amid the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Elena Brugger, president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) Boracay, said additional infrastructure projects were the least of the needs of the tourism industry during the health crisis. 6953, the Bayanihan to Recover As One Act, or Bayanihan 2, that allotted P10 billion for programs and infrastructure projects of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (Tieza). 1564, the counterpart bill, allocates P10 billion to the Department of Tourism (DOT) to assist severely hit businesses in the tourism industry. ADVERTISEMENT“We need help to save the jobs of more than 20,000 employees on the island, not more infrastructure,” Brugger said.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer August 16, 2020 21:00 UTC