DOLE helps displaced workers in Region 6

MANILA, Philippines - Some 750 displaced workers from Western Visayas (Region 6) were provided “emergency employment” worth P3.75 million through the government’s stimulus package, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said.

Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said the program was aimed at “cushioning the effects of the global economic slowdown.”

“The intervention was short-term, that’s why beneficiaries were provided skills upgrading or retooling to prepare them for long-term employment,” he said.

The employment assistance was provided through the 18 projects funded under DOLE’s Comprehensive Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program (CLEEP).

The beneficiaries were hired in various community work projects of local government units in Western Visayas like the construction of covered drainage systems, repair of farm-to-market roads and barangay health centers, and construction of perimeter fences, among others.

CLEEP funds covered projects under the Tulong Pangkabuhayan sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD).

Roque said the workers also received “social protection coverage” with the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. and underwent training with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.