As the government begins to wrap-up its emergency employment program in areas hit by super typhoon “Yolanda,” the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said it is now shifting its efforts to providing long term livelihood for displaced workers.
Recent records show that 9,697 or more than half of the 18,000 beneficiaries of the government’s cash-for-work program, ended their 15-day work cycle last Dec. 20.
Labor and Employment secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said DOLE will soon be providing the displaced workers with livelihood grants. That will be part of the government’s medium-term program to rebuild distressed communities and provide new sources of income.
“We will slowly veer away from emergency employment and focus on livelihood programs so we can help address the loss of income and jobs of people from typhoon-affected areas,” Baldoz said.
Baldoz said the grants will start from P10,000 and could be higher depending on the business proposal submitted by the applicants.
“The government could provide bigger financial assistance to groups of typhoon-affected residents who have a viable alternative livelihood project,” Baldoz said.
DOLE will start issuing the grants as soon as the supplemental budget for the rehabilitation of nine regions, which were heavily devastated by typhoon “Yolanda,” is released.
The program will complement the job fairs and skills training being organized by DoLE in the areas, particularly in Eastern Visayas.
Baldoz said DOLE is prioritizing these regions since it could lead to an influx in the country’s unemployment rate.
At least six million workers from affected regions lost their livelihood from the disaster last November., which led to an estimated loss of P16.6 billion worth of monthly incomes.

Source: Manila Bulletin - January 4, 2014