The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) will start the profiling of workers who were affected by the onslaught of Typhoon Odette in the Visayas and Mindanao.
“Our TUPAD (Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers) is institutionalized. This is what we implement every time we have a calamity, typhoon, and other man-made or acts of God calamities. This happened in Regions 7 (Central Visayas), 8 (Eastern Visayas), 5 (Bicol), 11 (Davao region), and Caraga. We will start the profiling of those affected by the calamity, particularly our informal workers,” Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns director, Ma. Karen Trayvilla, said during the agency’s year-end presser on Friday.
Trayvilla added that they aim to provide employment assistance as early as January next year, if not this month.
“In case we will not be able to provide them the assistance, we assured them that the assistance will be given next year. That’s why we need the number of displaced informal sector workers due to ‘Odette’,” Trayvilla added.
It was reported that more than 140,000 people in the two islands were affected by the typhoon.
The TUPAD is providing emergency employment assistance to displaced workers.
Under the program, beneficiaries will be employed for at least 10 days up to 30 days and will be paid based on the prevailing minimum wage in the region where they were hired.
Source: Philippines News Agency
