The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Tuesday announced it has doubled its emergency employment fund for quake victims in Mindanao.
Labor and Employment Silvestre H. Bello III said they opted to increase their initial P100 million budget allocation for the program due to sheer number of workers, who were affected by the twin earthquakes, which devastated parts of Regions 11 and 12 last week.
“We can use up over P200 million of our available assistance funds for this purpose,” Bello said in a statement.
He said they are targeting to get an additional P300 million for the initiative so they accommodate more beneficiaries.
In an interview, Labor assistant secretary Benjo M. Benavidez told BusinessMirror said they are waiting for their regional offices in Mindanao to complete their profiling before they start the emergency employment program.
He said the initial list they have received last week only included 16 workers.
“The profiled workers will be categorized if they were displaced temporarily or permantently,” Benavidez said.
Workers from both categories of workers will get aid from DOLE, but those who were permanently displaced will also be endorsed to the Social Security System (SSS) so they could avail of unemployment insurance.
Bello noted the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) will also provide aid to its active member and their families, who became victim to the two earthquakes.
“The OWWA board has decided to give P3,000 per family of OFW in the areas hit by the earthquake, so, for those who have OFW relatives,” Bello said.