To cushion the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the informal sector workers, the labor department awarded on Friday, Sept. 3, nearly P18 million pesos worth of livelihood packages in Calabarzon and Central Luzon.
In Lucena City, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello III, together with the officials from DOLE and local government unit of Lucena, conferred safety seals and awarded freebies and livelihood packages at the Evacuation Center in Dalahican, Quezon on Sept. 3.
Minimum wage-earners and displaced workers in Lucena received a P1.5 million livelihood check for DOLE AKAP and Halik Multi-Purpose Cooperative for their biofuel project funded under the DOLE Social Amelioration Welfare Program (SAWP); 100 bikes under the DOLE’s Freebis program for mobile vendors; nine individual projects for the beneficiaries of Mission RACE; 11 individual projects; five Certificates of Eligibility for 20 motorized boats to five fisherfolk organizations; and wages for 480 Government Internship Program (GIP) interns.
The DOLE chief thanked the warm welcome of Lucenahins and at the same time advised all the DOLE beneficiaries to take care of their livelihood and use the money wisely.
“Maraming salamat sa inyo. Ngayon ang gusto ko lang hingin sa inyo ‘yung trabaho ninyo alagaan ninyo. Gamitin niyo (ang pera niyo) sa kailangan ng pamilya ninyo,” Bello said.
He also emphasized that the people are not indebted to them because the funds used for the DOLE programs are people’s money.
“Hindi niyo po utang sa amin ‘yan. Hindi niyo utang kay Secretary Bello ‘yan. Hindi niyo utang sa mga kasamahan ko sa Department of Labor kasi gaya ng sinabi ni Pangulong Duterte ‘yang pera na ‘yan, pera ng tao,” he said.
For complying with the government’s minimum public health standards, Bello awarded the Safety Seal Certification to Pearl Energy Philippines Operating Inc. (Power Sector) in Cagsiay 1, Mauban; Pacific Royal Basic Foods, Inc. (Manufacturing) in Mangilag Sur, Candelaria; Integrated Synergy Construction Corporation (Construction) in Villa Ibaba, Atimonan; and Liquigaz Philippines Corporation (Gas Depot/ LPG Terminal) in Castañas, Sariaya.
In Candaba, Pampanga, Secretary Bello awarded P6.9 million Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) wages to displaced workers on September 2.
Along with the TUPAD emergency assistance, the labor secretary also awarded P3 million worth of Nego-Kart or Negosyo sa Kariton for ambulant vendors, and Android phones for the improvement of the beneficiaries’ livelihood activities especially this pandemic. (DOLE) -bny
