Employment facilitation for displaced persons

CEBU, Philippines - As part of the long-term solutions in the disaster response operations, the Department of  Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Field Office VII has started the consultation sessions with the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the evacuation camps located in Metro Cebu to discuss among their needs and problems, plans and options and other areas for support when they leave the evacuation camps.

Dennis, 25 worked as a delivery boy in a warehouse in the town of Salcedo in the Province of Samar.  “Almost all the establishments were washed out in our place which is why you can’t find work there anymore,” he said recalling that the warehouse he was working for was totally damaged by the super typhoon and the owners have expressed not to start business anytime soon.

Dennis is the eldest of  his siblings and the breadwinner of his family. His father died when he was still young and although his mother had put up a mini sari-sari store, it was not enough to cover their daily expenses as his younger siblings also had to go to elementary and high school. Although his family is fine and unscathed, their house and their sari-sari store had been blown off from the ground when the super typhoon hit their town.

Dennis decided to take that C-130 flight to Cebu primarily so he could find a job to help his family build their house again in Salcedo.

With no home and no work, a number of affected families and individuals staying at the evacuation camps have decided to start life anew and live in Cebu City. Some have expressed that they would temporarily settle down in Cebu and look for work. There are some families, however, who have not decided anything yet and expressed that they are confused and do not know where to go.

“This is precisely why the Department is also assisting in coming up with an inventory of skills and work backgrounds of IDPs for possible employment facilitation and eventually support their own needs,” DSWD Regional Director Mercedita Jabagat said.

“We welcome all the business groups and other civil society groups who would like to assist in the employment facilitation to partner with DSWD or with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE),” she added.   (FREEMAN)