By Brian Campued
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Wednesday assured that workers and their families affected by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Mindanao will receive cash aid, in line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to ensure the prompt delivery of assistance to calamity-hit communities.
In a news release, DOLE Secretary Francis Tolentino said the agency’s regional offices and the Employees’ Compensation Commission (ECC) would work on the profiling of affected workers.
“Sa umiiral na regulations ng ECC, kami ang nagbibigay ng financial assistance… Kung mayroon namang mga nasawing worker, nakakapagbigay din kami ng additional P30,000 na funeral assistance para sa ating mga manggagawa…at P15,000 na financial assistance,” Tolentino said.
Workers who temporarily lost their source of income due to the disaster may also be covered by the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program, which provides a daily minimum wage to beneficiaries who have rendered work.
Profiling for affected workers’ integration to TUPAD Program is likewise ongoing while DOLE gathers and secures its equipment and resources in the affected regional offices, especially in SOCCSKSARGEN.
Tolentino likewise reiterated that workers should not be compelled to report for work in establishments that remain unsafe following the earthquake until building safety and structural assessments are conducted.
The DOLE chief earlier reminded private-sector employers and workers that work suspensions may be implemented during natural disasters and similar disruptive events to safeguard employee health and safety, pursuant to Labor Advisory No. 15, Series of 2025.
Under the advisory, workers are advised to promptly notify their employers of any imminent dangers or safety threats while traveling to or from work as a result of the disaster.
It also provides that all workers who report imminent danger or fail/refuse to report during said events should not be subject to administrative sanctions.
Meanwhile, Tolentino said he is planning to establish a dedicated rescue and quick reaction team within the agency, like when he was chairperson of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).
“Within this week, I’m creating a DOLE rescue team… para nang sa ganoon kapag ganito mayroon kaagad kaming quick reaction warm bodies kahit saan dalhin,” he said, adding that he is also expanding the functions of occupational safety and health to include mental health to assist traumatized workers.
He also announced plans to beef up the Occupational Safety and Health Center (OHSC) Regional Extension Units to ensure swift emergency response for workers, as these regional offices have a limited number of personnel.
Tolentino made the announcement following a meeting with OHSC Executive Director Engr. Jose Maria Batino on Tuesday.
The officials reaffirmed the need to form an in-house rescue team to directly assist workers affected by sudden workplace emergencies and severe natural disasters.
The said team will undergo disaster preparedness and tactical rescue training to ensure they can be deployed swiftly to emergency zones.
Aside from DOLE’s EEC and TUPAD, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is also distributing P5,000 cash aid to workers who lost their jobs due to the earthquake under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS).
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