MANILA — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Tuesday said it has allotted PHP200 million as initial employment assistance for workers affected by earthquakes in Mindanao.
During his visit to quake-stricken areas, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III directed senior officials and DOLE regional offices to expedite emergency employment for displaced workers and livelihood assistance to workers in the informal sector which he estimated may reach PHP500 million.
“Last Sunday, I was in Davao City and met with our regional directors and [OSHC] Director Noel Binag, and we discussed the extent of the damage of the earthquake with other agencies,” Bello said in a statement.
“We may need more than PHP500 million to cover all those needing assistance and emergency employment in the affected areas. We can use up over PHP200 million of our available assistance funds for this purpose,” the DOLE chief added.
The DOLE chief reported that the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) is set to provide calamity assistance for the families of OFWs who are active OWWA members in the quake-hit areas.
“The OWWA board has decided to give PHP3,000 per family of OFW in the areas hit by the earthquake, so, for those who have OFW relatives, please tell them that they are entitled to financial assistance from OWWA,” he said.
For more information on availing of the said assistance, qualified beneficiaries were advised to visit their nearest OWWA or DOLE regional and field offices, or call the OWWA hotline 1348.
Earlier, the DOLE chief dispatched senior labor officials and quick response teams to areas in Mindanao severely hit by the 6.5 magnitude earthquake to assess the situation and provide assistance to the affected workers.
Meanwhile, the head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) visited the survivors of the tremors, which killed 22 people and displaced thousands of people in the southern part of the country.
Archbishop Romulo Valles, CBCP president went to North Cotabato on Monday and encouraged survivors in Makilala, one of the hardest-hit towns by the quake.
Together with Kidapawan Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo, they also visited families still living in temporary shelters, and those assisting in relief efforts.
The Davao archbishop has launched an appeal for the earthquake victims, particularly in the dioceses of Kidapawan and Digos in Davao del Sur.
“I appeal again for more help to ease the sufferings and pains of our brothers and sisters,” said Valles in an article posted on the CBCP news website.
Church social arm organizations such as Caritas Manila and Quiapo Church have also sent an initial P1 million to aid in the relief efforts of the Kidapawan diocese.
Caritas Philippines, the CBCP’s humanitarian arm, and its partners and other church organizations have been assisting quake-hit communities.
The church agency said many victims are still in urgent need of food, water, mosquito nets, hygiene kits, and materials for temporary shelters like tents.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported that over 188,000 people are affected in about 240 barangays, and some 24,000 people are staying in evacuation centers.