With the closure of resort destination Boracay scheduled to commence tomorrow, April 26, the Department of Trade and Industry-Region VI (DTI-6) recently revealed they would provide assistance for local workers and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

According to DTI-6 Director Rebeca M. Rascon, the agency will lead an Operations Center/One-Stop Shop, located in Boracay’s Barangay Balabag, intended to provide alternatives for local workers and offer different markets for MSMEs.

“We have to engage stakeholders [with] other opportunities during the island’s shutdown and prepare them for sustainable livelihood possibilities,” she said.

Ahead of the planned shutdown, other agencies have also vowed to assist those impacted by the island’s closure.

Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director-General Guiling Mamondiong earlier deployed TESDA-Aklan personnel to create a contingency plan for affected workers and residents; while the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) announced they would be providing assistance for local residents.

Personnel from DSWD, alongside those from the Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Tourism, Department of the Interior and Local Government, among others agencies, will also be part of the Operations Center/One-Stop Shop./WDJ