Dole eyes emergency employment

THE Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) said Quick Response Teams (QRTs) have already been deployed to regions affected by typhoon “Nina” in a bid to provide displaced workers with emergency employment and other forms of assistance.

In a statement, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said he has already given instructions to fast track the profiling of displaced and affected workers for them to immediately be able to get emergency employment op- portunities.

“Dole’s support program provides short-term and immediate employment for victims of natural calamities,” said Bello.

Under the emergency employment program, workers in the affected areas are engaged in community and rural rehabilitation work, specifically in de-clogging, clearing, and cleaning of communities, schools, and evacuation centers.

Aside from emergency employment, Bello said QRTs will also deliver a list of assistance, namely employment guidance and counseling; facilitation of payment of separation pay; employment matching and referral for wage employment (using available facilities, such as the PhilJobNet and jobs fair); information on and certification for SSS loan availment; referral to other Dole programs; and referral of qualified displaced workers to other government and nongovernment organizations.

“Some of the areas are still flooded and without electricity. But, I told our Regional Directors to immediately provide the necessary assistance to our displaced workers,” said Bello.

During the Christmas weekend, “Nina” brought strong winds and rains in several parts of the country.

According to an initial report of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), an estimated 132,908 families, or 602,770 people, were affected by the typhoon.

Affected regions include Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol Region, and Eastern Visayas. (Sunnex)