The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) recently distributed negosyo kits to boat owners from seven barangays in Moalboal, Cebu under the Pangkabuhayan sa pagBangon at Ginhawa (PBG) program.
A total of 41 boat owners, all members of the Boat Owners of Moalboal Island Hopping Association (BOHIMA) Inc. , are beneficiaries of Negosyo Kits worth Php10,000.00 each.
During the reopening ceremony of tourism sites in Moalboal, Marechel Mercado, president of BOHIMA, took the stage to receive a UV lamp from DTI official Asteria Caberte as symbolic gesture of acceptance of the starter kits by qualified members of the association.
Mercado expressed appreciation for DTI’ s quick response to their plea for assistance and is grateful to the department for providing the necessary items they requested.
Mercado also added that, since tourism is the main industry in Moalboal, she believes that DTI’s move has made a huge contribution to the municipality’s major source of livelihood — tourist island hopping services.
The Pangkabuhayan sa pagBangon at Ginhawa (PBG) Program is a livelihood seeding and entrepreneurship development program which aims to assist individuals and families affected by fire incidents and other calamities, including health disasters like the COVID-19 pandemic, and those who will avail of the Balik Probinsya Program to recover and/or start their business.
At least 300 boatmen and boatcrew from the Boat Owners of Moalboal Island Hopping Inc (BOMIHA) have been affected by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis , according to Rolie Alderite, tourism officer of Moalboal.
Alderite also said “There are at least 200 tourist guides, both registered and unregistered in the town’s tourism office, who are also affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
A simple reopening ceremony for tourism sites was held in Moalboal Park, together with Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, Moalboal Mayor Paz Rozgoni, DTI Asec. Asteria Caberte, DOT7 Dir. Shalimar Tamano, members of BOHIMA, among others. (DTI Region 7 Central Visayas)
