Attributing to the passionate expressions of faith and the generosity of people, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco praised the “strength of spirit” showed by her fellow Cebuanos in the aftermath of the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that severely affected the northern part of her home province, Cebu.
In an interview over the program “Front and Center” on Radyo Pilipinas on Monday (October 6), the Tourism Chief talked about how Cebu went through so much in the past with the help of faith and a strong sense of community.
“Cebu has been through so much, there’s been a lot of tragedies that have befallen the province from Yolanda in the north of Cebu to Covid-19 to Super typhoon Odette—I was mayor at the time— to the earthquake now, and what I have always seen in the Cebuanos is a deep sense of faith,” she said.
She also credited the “indefatigable strength of spirit that urges Cebuanos to help each other in times of trial and in times of need.”
“I think that’s the reason why there’s so many people that have really volunteered their time and resources, because that is the Cebuano way: that we come together, we unite, we help each other in times of difficulty and trial. That is why we say Padayon ug Kumbati ang mga sugbuanon bisan sa kalisod, and we’re just so grateful that so many people have come to the aid of Cebu,” she added.
Among those who gave help to the quake victims were some of the passengers of the Villa Vie MV Odyssey cruise ship that docked in Cebu province on Sunday (October 5), some of whom came from the United States, India, South Africa, Greece, and Romania, whom Secretary Frasco personally welcomed.
“They informed me that when they learned of the earthquake in Cebu, they voluntarily came together to gather funds. And I think ‘yung last count nila reached around $16,000 dollars yata, that they voluntarily gave out of the goodness of their hearts to contribute to the relief efforts in Northern Cebu,” she recalled.
She added, “This is a very encouraging and touching gesture on the part of our tourists who have the heart for our local communities that have been severely affected. I know there’s been a lot of difficult and devastating news in the past few days, but little tidbits of information like this really gives you hope in the goodness of humanity.”
The strong earthquake that hit the northern part of Cebu province has “claimed 71 lives and injured more than 500 people, has destroyed multiple infrastructure across Cebu province, and also the tourism workers were not spared,” according to the radio program.
Based on data from the DOT, the tremor caused destruction to 123 tourism establishments – including attractions, accommodation, and other infrastructure – and seven heritage sites, as well as displaced a total of 1,206 tourism workers.
Secretary Frasco has also given P3,000 worth of financial aid – which came from her personal funds – to each of the 77 tourism workers, 30 of whom were from the municipality of Medellin, 26 others from the epicenter in Bogo City, and 21 more from the town of San Remigio.
The DOT is also set to endorse the jobless tourism workers to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for their inclusion in the Tulong Pang-hanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD).
Meanwhile, she noted the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), along with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), has started “a thorough examination of the extent of the damage” to the affected heritage sites, mostly centuries-old churches.
“To manage expectations, it will not be immediate, because the law, as I understand it, especially for heritage sites, requires the thorough assessment by both National Historical Commission, as well as the National Commission on Culture and the Arts, and TIEZA is there to provide funding assistance from the portion of the travel taxes that it collects under the Tourism Act,” explained the Tourism Chief.
It might take “around three to six months to conduct a thorough assessment of the damage” as well as related procurement processes for the damaged heritage sites, she also said.
“I honestly don’t think that repairs can be done to its fullest within the year. But we’re hopeful that at the very least, repairs can begin within the term of the President, in conjunction with rules governing the rehabilitation of heritage sites,” she said.
