Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte on Tuesday, Aug. 30, led the launching of the "Alagang QC" program that provides financial assistance to displaced workers in the city and who are seeking for new jobs.
"Ang programang ito ay paraan ng lokal na pamahalaan para matulungan ang QCitizens nating nawalan o natanggal sa trabaho dahil sa pandemiya at krisis pang ekonomiya. Magagamit nila itong financial assistance para patuloy na itaguyod ang kanilang pamilya habang naghahanap ng bagong papasukan o sa pag-aayos ng kanilang requirement (This program is the local government's way of helping our QCitizens who have lost their jobs or have been laid off due to the pandemic and economic crisis. They can use this financial assistance to continue to support their family while looking for a new job or while settling their requirements.," Belmonte said.
Under City Ordinance No. 3095, Series of 2022, which was signed by the mayor and enacted in February 2022, residents -- workers from the formal, informal sectors, and overseas Filipino workers -- 18 to 64 years old, who have been out of work or have lost their livelihood involuntarily for the past six months prior to their application and are actively looking for new employment, are eligible to be the beneficiaries of the program.
They will each be given P500 financial assistance per week for a maximum of eight weeks (equivalent to P4,000). The city has allotted a P60 million budget for the program this year.
According to the local government, eligible applicants can apply online through the QC e-Services website (https://qcservices.quezoncity.gov.ph).
The first beneficiaries were 25 displaced factory workers, administrative staff, and utility workers of Colegio De San Lorenzo (CDSL), which recently announced its closure; and 25 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) identified by the Public Employment Services Office.
The local government said that there have been more than 50,000 displaces workers in the city since the beginning of the year based on the latest data from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). Most of them were laid off due to the pandemic and the inevitable economic crisis.
Vice-mayor Gian Sotto, District 3 Rep. Franz Pumaren, PESO Manager Rogelio Reyes, were present during the event, along with other guests.
Sotto said the ordinance was passed in February but was implemented in August due to the recent elections.
"Ang importante lang talaga is matutukan natin yung pang-angat ng bawat pamilya sa Quezon City (What is important is that we focus to uplift the lives of every family in Quezon City)," he said.
"Asahan po ninyo that we will really maximize the funds of the city government para maibigay talaga sa bawat pamilyang nangangailangan ng tulong dito sa lungsod (Expect that we will really maximize the funds of the city government to help every family here in the city),"he added.
Belmonte said that they will also launch an educational recovery program that aims to help the displaced teachers from the CDSL.
She added that there are also job fairs being held in the barangays to help residents looking for new employment.
"Ang lungsod Quezon ay handa laging tumugon kapag may krisis. Ano mang uri ng krisis - nawalan ng trabaho, pinagsamantalahan ng mga boss - nakikita naman natin na agad agad namang tumutugon ang lungsod Quezon sa kanila at hindi sila napapabayaan (Quezon City is always ready to respond when there is a crisis. Any kind of crisis - when people lose their jobs or when they are exploited by their bosses. We can see that Quezon City immediately responds to them and does not neglect them)," she said.