With the plan of reopening of the tourism in the Province of Palawan, Secretary of National Action Plan Against COVID-19 Deputy Chief Implementer, Vivencio “Vince” Dizon together with Department of Tourism, Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat spearheaded the ceremonial vaccination of tourism workers in Coron, El Nido and San Vicente.
Secretary Dizon shared that the vaccination of the tourism workers need to be fast tracked to reopen the tourism sector on heavily affected areas by the pandemic that relies on tourism not only in Palawan, but all over the country. Dizon stated that the vaccination is not only focused on hotel workers, but the whole community that serves the tourism sector.
“Kailangan na talaga mabilis natin maiahon ang tourism. Marami sa mga municipalities, sa cities and provinces sa Pilipinas, umaasa sa tourism kunwari dito sa Palawan, sabi nga ni governor hindi lang mga nag tratrabaho sa hotel pati yung mga na tricycle, pedicab mga boatman lahat ng citizen ng mga munisipyo, eh umaasa sa tourism hindi na tayo puwede mag hintay kelangan talaga buksan na natin ang pagbabakuna para sa kanila para dahan dahan natin maihaon,” Dizon said.
Also with Department of Tourism, Bernadette Romulo Puyat addressed how important tourism for everybody and how vaccination will help the sector to sustain the tourism in the midst of pandemic.
“Gaano ka importante ang tourism? Tourism is everybody’s business. Ang Palawan talagang umaasa sa tourism. On and off tayo tuwing nag uusap kami ni mayor okay lang bukas na tapos nag sasara ulit pero with the vaccination, ‘yun ang gusto natin tuloy tuloy na pagbukas para mag katrabaho na tayo ulit,” Puyat said.
Secretary Puyat added on the tourism sector alone, 1 million workers lost their job because of the pandemic and the only way to bring it back is to be vaccinated.
“Ang nawalan ng trabaho dahil sa pandemic ay 1 million [in tourism alone], the only way makabalik ng trabaho is mabakunahan,” Puyat added.
Furthermore, Palawan Governor Jose Chavez Alvarez also emphasized that there will be no choosing and hierarchy in the process of vaccination.
“Those who don’t want to be vaccinated set aside, whoever what go ahead no more choosing, no more hierarchy, let’s do it until December so that the tourism sector will open in San Vicente, no time for COVID to get away, but without this vaccine which our guest promise until December will fast track the vaccination… let’s do it, let’s do it San Vicente will rise up again.”
On the said event 10 tourism workers received their first dose of SinoVac also the three municipalities received a thousand doses of the vaccine and will be replenished when the supplies arrive.