DOLE allots R10 million for emergency employment of ‘Usman’ victims

An initial amount of R10 million has been set aside by the Department of Labor and Employment for the emergency employment of workers displaced by typhoon Usman in Bicol Region.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the initial amount is intended to provide around 3,000 affected workers and their families with immediate shortterm income support under the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD).

“Most of the affected families of Typhoon Usman were farmers and farm workers, and we aim to provide immediate assistance to these affected workers by giving them temporary income-support while still coping with the devastation brought by the typhoon,” he said in a statement.

Under the TUPAD program, beneficiaries will be provided with emergency employment in the form of 10-day community work with a minimum salary of R305 a day.

The DOLE’s rapid profiling of displaced workers in priority areas including Sangay, Camarines Sur and in Tiwi, Albay, is still ongoing to further reach more workers affected by the calamity.

Various assistance programs are also available to the displaced workers including skills training, livelihood assistance, as well as the provision of grants and loans to help them recover.

Also, the families of active OFWs affected by calamity will be provided with R3,000 worth of assistance from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) while R1,500 will be given to the families of inactive OFWs.

Bello joined President Duterte on Friday in visiting devastated areas in Bicol to determine the needed assistance of affected communities.