Quezon City provides ayuda to unemployed residents

MANILA, Philippines — The Quezon City government has launched a new financial assistance program to support displaced workers seeking employment.

Mayor Joy Belmonte and Vice Mayor Gian Sotto on Tuesday led the launching of “Alagang QC,” which aims to give up to P4,000 ayuda or aid to workers who lost their jobs during the pandemic.

“This program is the local government’s way to help QCitizens who lost their jobs because of the pandemic and the economic crisis,” Belmonte said in Filipino.

“They can use this financial assistance to continue providing for their families while looking for work or preparing their requirements,” she added.

The first of its kind in the country, “Alagang QC” was established through an ordinance approved by the city council earlier this year.

An initial P60 million was allocated for the program, which will provide a weekly aid of P500 to eligible beneficiaries for a maximum of eight weeks or equivalent to P4,000.

The city government partnered with mobile wallet GCash to efficiently release the weekly payout.

Qualified beneficiaries are Quezon City residents who have been out of work involuntarily for the past six months, including displaced overseas Filipino workers.

Fifty beneficiaries initially received the cash aid on Tuesday, including displaced employees of the Colegio de San Lorenzo, which shut down recently.

The program will be implemented by the city’s Public Employment Service Office, which Belmonte said has started holding community-based job fairs to help unemployed residents.

Applications for “Alagang QC” may be submitted through the Quezon City e-Services website http://qceservices.quezoncity.gov.ph.

Data from the Department of Labor and Employment showed that over 50,000 workers in Quezon City lost their jobs this year.

Most of the employees were laid off due to the economic crisis caused by the pandemic, according to the city government.