THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) have setup an operation center (OpCen) for individuals who will be directly affected by the 6-month closure of Boracay Island, a world-famous tourist destination, starting on April 26.
“Those who are affected by the closure of the island can go to our operation center. We have social workers there who are ready to listen and help,” DSWD-Western Visayas director Rebecca Geamala said.
The OpCen, which is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., have already aided about 24 non-residents of Boracay and was forwarded to the local government unit residents for proper assistance.
Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM) division chief Luna Moscoso said that the most who proceed to the center lacks transportation assistance, livelihood and counseling.
“We will immediately provide the transportation needs. But we will not leave them from there. We will refer and monitor them in the places where they will be going to ensure a holistic approach to their cases,” Geamala said.
DSWD assigned some social workers to tap some expert workers from several town in Aklan on a rotational basis.
Meanwhile, the Department of Labor and Employment is still in the process of profiling workers who will be affected by the closure, which President Rodrigo Duterte ordered due to environmental violations by commercial establishments.