At least P455 million have been allocated for the emergency employment programs in the areas severely hit by super typhoon "Karding", the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) disclosed on Sunday, Oct. 2.
DOLE Sec. Bienvenio E. Laguesma said the fund covers Central Luzon and CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon)--the two regions mostly affected by the weather disturbance last week.
He said the fund will cover the salary of informal sectors that are hired to assist in clearing, cleaning, de-clogging of canals, debris segregation, materials recovery, and other activities needed in the rehabilitation of their communities for 10 days.
Laguesma also assured additional funds if the initial allocation will not be sufficient and underscored the program’s enhanced implementation by providing skills training to beneficiaries.
In Central Luzon, DOLE regional director Geraldine M. Panlilio said a total of P365 million has been allocated for the program’s implementation in partnership with the local government units and their respective Public Employment Service Offices in the region.
Panlilio said 14,000 beneficiaries are currently engaged under the program, while 29,000 others are set to be employed next week. The DOLE Regional Office has also disbursed salaries of 31,333 TUPAD beneficiaries in Bulacan, Tarlac, and Bataan right after the typhoon’s onslaught last week.
To upgrade the skills of emergency employment beneficiaries, Panlilio said the DOLE Central Luzon is partnering with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) for the carpentry skills training of workers in Bulacan, Aurora, and Nueva Ecija.
“The beneficiaries will not only work for 10 days, but they will also gain carpentry skills. In this way, they will not only construct their own homes, but they might also be employed by construction companies,” said Panlilio as she highlighted that construction skills are in-demand because of the numerous construction projects in the region.
In Calabarzon, DOLE regional director Exequiel Ronie A. Guzman said P90.6 million has been allocated initially for the emergency employment of informal sector workers who were affected by typhoon ‘Karding’ in the region.
"This will benefit more than 19,800 workers in hard-hit areas of Polilio Island, Burdeos and several other towns of Quezon, Rizal, Laguna, Batangas and Cavite," said Guzman.