Oslob, Moalboal boatmen struggle to regain livelihood
To help revive tourism in the municipalities of Oslob and Moalboal in Cebu Province, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Central Visayas will provide financial assistance to boatmen affected by the closure of tourist sites.
Assistant Secretary for Regional Operations and concurrent Regional Director Asteria Caberte said the assistance is DTI’s way of bringing back the lost livelihood of the boatmen, who were most affected when Cebu’s multi-billion tourism industry dove because of community quarantine restrictions first imposed in March.
“We discussed their common needs. Feeding the whale sharks is costly and to sustain their presence, we will help and support the boatmen,” Caberte said of the DTI’s Pangkabuhayan sa Pagbangon at Ginhawa under COVID-19 (PPGC) program.
DTI will assist boatmen in looking for feeds supplier.
The total P300,000 financial assistance will be divided among 280 boatmen in Barangay Tan-awan in Oslob this week.
In Moalboal on Saturday, 18 boatmen and operators received P10,000 each, the first batch of beneficiaries.
Moalboal and Oslob are famous for their ecosystems and whale sharks, known as butanding or balilan.
Whale shark-watching was officially reopened on Friday by Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia. Guests are limited to just 1,000 daily as part of health protocols due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Pre-COVID, an average of 2,000 guests were accommodated.
Caberte said Moalboal boatmen and operators are dealing with the cost of upgrading and disinfecting their vessels.
“DTI will be providing for ultraviolet sterilization lamps and other materials needed for the repair of their boats,” Caberte said.
In order to create more economic activities, the DTI also tapped the supply chain that will provide for the other needs of the boatmen.
Boatmen also agreed to a uniform color of pump boats for easier identification by tourists.