DAVAO CITY -- Mayor Sara Duterte has vowed to provide support for the retrenched employees of the ABC-CBN Davao after the network decided to cease operations of its regional news and public service programs last August 28, months after the non-renewal of its 25-year legislative franchise.
Duterte said that the social services of the city government of Davao would be made available to the workers, who would be retrenched following the final airing of TV Patrol Southern Mindanao over ABS-CBN Davao’s Channel 4 after 31 years.
The country’s media giant decided to discontinue the airing of 12 local TV Patrol programs across the country on August 28, namely, TV Patrol North Luzon (Baguio, Dagupan, Ilocos, Isabela and Pampanga), TV Patrol Bicol (Naga, Legazpi), TV Patrol Palawan, TV Patrol Southern Tagalog (CALABARZON), TV Patrol Central Visayas (Cebu, Dumaguete, Bohol), TV Patrol Negros (Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental), TV Patrol Panay (Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan, Antique, Guimaras), TV Patrol Eastern Visayas (Samar, Leyte), TV Patrol Northern Mindanao (Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental Lanao Del Norte, CARAGA, Dipolog), TV Patrol South Central Mindanao (SOCSKSARGEN, Cotabato), TV Patrol Southern Mindanao (Davao), TV Patrol Chavacano (Zamboanga).
“Those who are here in Davao City, if they need support and assistance, then we have assistance available for them from the city government of Davao,” Duterte said when asked for a comment on the local station’s final newscast during her interview over Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR 87.5).
She told the ABS-CBN Davao’s workers to reach out to the local government so that they can be enrolled under the city’s existing social assistance programs for affected workers.
“Just let us know what you need, and we will match them with our current projects there at the city government of Davao,” Duterte said.
The employment rate in the region declined to 82.1 percent in the second quarter amid the coronavirus disease outbreak, or 14.8 percentage points lower from the 96.9 percent reported in the same period of last year, according to a report released by National Economic Development Authority-Davao Region,
It said the labor force of the region was estimated at 1.965 million, of whom 1.614 million are employed.