DOLE Offers Emergency Employment for ‘Lawin’ Victims

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has put up an emergency employment program for the victims of supertyphoon Lawin in Northern Luzon.

In a news release, DOLE said about 800 individuals have initially benefited from the program as of Friday.

Workers were tasked to help in the clearing operations, cleaning the roads, restoring damaged structures in the community, among others.

“Due to the extent of damage in the region, particularly in Isabela and Cagayan, the emergency employment may extend up to 30 days,” Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said.

Aside from employment, program beneficiaries will also be given Personal Accident Insurance under the Government Service Insurance System and protective equipment such as gloves, long-sleeve shirts, rubber boots and buri hats.

Bello also urged the Social Security System to immediately release emergency and calamity assistance to affected workers from the private sector.

In addition, the labor secretary requested Pag-Ibig Fund to open a special assistance window that would help victims in rebuilding their homes.

“I have instructed our offices in Regions 1 and 2 to help in facilitating requests for assistance from affected workers and their families,” Bello said.

“We are also looking at other possible means we can be of help to the families of our OFWs in the region,” he added.

In its latest update on Saturday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said at least 15 have been reported killed during the onslaught of supertyphoon Lawin in Cagayan Valley and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

The NDRRMC added that a total of 143,531 people or 28,710 families have been displaced in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Bicol and CAR. —Erwin Colcol/ALG, GMA News

(Source: GMAnetwork.com)