DOLE REACHES OUT TO COVID-HIT PWDs

THE Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) has expanded its special assistance program for persons with disabilities ( PWDs) and other segments of the workforce who were displaced by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd said over the weekend that the program was being implemented by the Employees Compensation Commission (ECC), an attached agency of the Labor department.

It will provide PWDs with a physical restoration plan and training for reemployment or entrepreneurship.

ECC Executive Director Stella Zipagan-Banawis said the commission had extended its Katulong at Gabay sa Manggagawang may Kapansanan Program to PWDs even in the provinces.

She added that the program had initially listed 49 PWDs from Central Luzon and Davao who lost their jobs because of workrelated sickness or injury.

“This year, we continue to strengthen our services as we provide more livelihood opportunities to our PWDs in our mission to assist them in their return to the economic mainstream and their desire to gain new competencies,” ZipaganBanawis said.

Of the 49 beneficiaries, 32 are from Central Luzon and the rest from 17 from Davao. Each of them received P20,000 worth of livelihood package.

On top of the assistance, the PWDs have been provided with other ECC benefits such as sickness, disability benefits, medical reimbursements, cash assistance of P10,000, free physical and occupational therapy, and free skill or entrepreneurial training.

To encourage them to expand their livelihood enterprises, the ECC can further provide the recipients with P10,000 as a complementary livelihood grant after one year.