Govt eyeing alternative local jobs for displaced OFWs

MANILA, Philippines — The government is looking for alternative job opportunities in other industries for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) displaced by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease spokesperson and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said this move is aimed at helping OFWs who may lose their jobs amid the virus’ adverse impact on the economy.

“Dahil global pandemic po ito, maaaring maraming OFWs ang mawawalan ng trabaho. Instead of deploying them abroad, anong industriya po natin sila pwede ipasok,” Nograles said in a virtual briefing.

(Since this is a global pandemic, there will probably be many OFWs who will lose their jobs. And instead of deploying them abroad, we are thinking of deploying them in other  industries)

“Even in this worldwide global pandemic, even yung situation natin dito sa COVID-19, may mga ibang industriya that will flourish,” he noted.

(Even in this worldwide global pandemic and even in this COVID-19 situation, there will be other industries that will flourish.)

A technical working group headed by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) is already studying the possible displacement of workers here and abroa, Nograles said.

“It gives us as policy planners and idea of what to expect para makaprepare po tayo. So kung ganito karami ang mawawalan ng trabaho, saan tayo hahanap ng industriya, or ano yung mga industriya na pwede pa natin palawakin para dun natin ilalagay yung workforce natin,” he said.

(It gives us as policy planners an idea of what to expect so we could prepare. If this is the number of workers who will lose their jobs, where do we find the industries or what are the industries we can develop so we can redeploy our workforce there)

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) earlier said it has recorded more than more than 630,000 workers displaced by the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

Meanwhile, DOLE said a US$200 cash subsidy is provided to OFWs whose jobs were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 cases worldwide have surpassed the one million mark and continues to wreak havoc on the global economy.

GSG