DOLE asks big firms to shoulder needs of workers as it focuses on informal sector

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has called on well-established companies to take care of its workers while the enhanced community quarantine is in place all over Luzon.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III echoed Tuesday President Rodrigo Duterte’s appeal for big businesses to help the government at this time of emergency, as the number of persons infected with COVID-19 in the country continues to swell.

Duterte earlier declared that the country is in a state of public health emergency because of the highly-contagious respiratory disease.

“I particularly make this appeal to the owners and management of Filipino conglomerates like SM, Ayala, Yuchengco, Aboitiz, Metro Pacific, SMC, Summit, Villar and similar groups of companies who can very well take care of their workers and employees for the duration of the enhanced community quarantine,” Bello said in a statement.

“In this manner, the Department of Labor and Employment may be able to address the pressing needs of the rest of the affected workers in the quarantined areas,” he added.

According to Bello, they are utilizing a P180 million emergency employment program for around 16,000 informal sectors.

This fund, he said, would be used under the Tulong Pangkabuhayan sa Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program wherein barangay workers would be paid to disinfect communities.

Also, Bello said another P1.3 billion will be released for the COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP) wherein around 250,000 workers affected by the community quarantine are projected to benefit.

“We shall undertake other such measures that may be necessary to help mitigate the impact of the current global health emergency,” Bello explained.

“There is no denying that COVID-19 has considerably changed the normal lives we have and the regular work we do. In this extraordinary difficult situation under these extraordinary times, our long-enduring partnership and cooperation is more crucial than in any other similar exigencies in the past,” he added.

On social media, netizens aired sentiments and concerns of workers who rely on daily wages — like public utility vehicle drivers and other low-income earners — as they would not be allowed to work during the weeks-long enhanced community quarantine.

However, government agencies assured that food and public services would not be disrupted, with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) saying that social aid would continue.

READ: DSWD confirms: Cash transfer programs suspended, but aid for poor continues 

Duterte placed the entire region of Luzon under enhanced community quarantine from March 17 to April 12, 2020, due to COVID-19, a respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus or SARS-CoV-2, which outbreak started in China’s Wuhan City in Hubei province in late 2019.

To date, the Philippines has 187 people infected with COVID-19, including 12 deaths and four recoveries.

Coronavirus is a family of viruses, which surfaces have a crown-like appearance. The viruses are named for the spikes on their surfaces.

The World Health Organization has declared COVID-19 a pandemic since it has already infected more than 160,000 people and killed over 6,000 in over 140 countries all over the world.

KGA