The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) retrieved an estimated P57 million worth of giant clam shells in a joint counter action operation in Palawan on Tuesday (April 13).

The operation was conducted by the PCG and the Naval Intelligence Security Group (NISG), Intelligence Operation 2nd Special Operations Unit – Maritime Group (SOU – MG) and Bantay Dagat Palawan Task Force.

Authorities recovered 16,467 pieces of giant clam shells hidden in a tent at a residential lot owned by a certain Jonjie Moreño situated in Purok Bonbon, Barangay Panacan, Narra, Palawan.

Giant clams have been tagged as “endangered species” due to massive poaching for various purposes, such as jewelry making and ornamental shell trade.

According to Moreño, he was the caretaker of the giant clam shells allegedly owned by a certain Rolando Eleazar.

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Tourism (DOT) has welcomed the decision of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) to approve the construction of walk-in and drive-through vaccination site at the Nayong Pilipino in Parañaque City.

The DOT said the IATF has mandated the National Task Force against COVID-19 (NTF) to enter into an agreement with the Nayong Filipino Foundation (NPF) for this purpose.

“The National Task Force against COVID-19, which was duly authorized by the IATF, shall enter into an agreement with the Nayong Pilipino Foundation, whose board had already given its preliminary approval of the project, to ensure its immediate execution,” the department said in a statement.

The facility, according to the tourism department, will be a public-private partnership, is expected to vaccinate at least 12,000 people a day. AAC

MANILA, Philippines — A total of 67,347 tourism workers displaced by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in the National Capital Region (NCR) Plus area will receive P5,000 cash assistance from the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

In a statement released by the DOT, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat and Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III agreed to provide cash assistance to the said sector workers in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal.

Of the said number, 6,817 beneficiaries are in Bulacan, 8,422 in Cavite, 14,161 in Laguna, 10,582 in Rizal, and 27,365 in the NCR.

The total disbursements amount to over P336.7 million as of April 6.

In today’s online awarding of certificates, around P41.2 million pesos were given to 8,251 recognized beneficiaries of the DOT-DOLE cash assistance program, broken down as follow:

NCR – 2,199
Bulacan – 901
Cavite – 924
Laguna – 2,490
Rizal – 1,737

“We are hopeful that this financial assistance will provide some relief to our most affected stakeholders and tourism workers during these difficult times. While it may help in the short term, we believe that the best way to help stakeholders, in the long run, is to develop a tourism industry that is stronger, more resilient, and more adaptable to change,” Puyat said in her opening remarks.

DOLE Secretary Bello added that the labor department will continuously provide assistance to the tourism workers despite the increasing odds brought by the pandemic.

“Rest assured that DOLE will always give its full support to our workers in need. In the coming months, as we start to put our economy on its track, we hope that our tourism stakeholders will get back on their feet, stronger than before,” he said.

Issued in February, the DOT-DOLE Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 2021-001 (Amended Implementing Guidelines on Providing Financial Assistance and Cash-For-Work Program for Displaced Workers in the Tourism Sector) expanded its coverage of beneficiaries including Local Government-Licensed Tourism Support Service (TSS) enterprises, providers and associations of providers.