The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is now ready to open one million job opportunities for displaced Filipino workers affected by the COVID-19 crisis through its post recovery program.
The labor department will prioritize workers who lost their jobs during the enhanced community quarantine, marginalized sectors with no current source of income, and those living in areas under general community quarantine. Most of the workers will have the opportunity for prospective employment in the “Build, Build, Build” projects of the current administration.
Former DOLE Sec. Marianito Roque said they can convince contractors to add manpower instead of equipment. The DOLE allotted Php 25 billion for job vacancies and expects to assist more displaced workers as it realigned Php 1.5 billion for cash assistance distribution.
The labor department earlier suspended the application on the program due to depleted funds after around a million workers applied. The DOLE clarified the program will not cover everyone but assured it will endorse all the applications to DOF, SSS, and BIR to come up with a new cash assistance program called “Small Business Subsidy Program.”
More than 400,000 employees are currently scheduled to receive cash aid. The DOLE will also grant a three-month wage subsidy to employees of micro and small-scale enterprises in provinces to enable them to jumpstart after a brief dormancy.
