FILE PHOTO Marlene Cenina, 39, sewer, poses for a picture inside the factory where she works making Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for front liners during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, in Cainta, Philippines, on April 24, 2020. (Photo by Ted ALJIBE / AFP)
MANILA, Philippines — Over 11,500 workers have been displaced after Alert Level 3 was raised in several areas in the country, including Metro Manila, according to Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello III.
“Although the estimate that there would be at least 100,000 to 200,000 workers that will be displaced because of the Alert Level 3, our experience — and I’m very happy to note — na [that] as of yesterday ang na-displace lang na workers because of the Alert Level 3 ay 11,500 plus,” Bello said in an ANC interview on Wednesday.
“Yun ang binibigyan namin ng ayuda ngayon… Ang ating ina-address ngayon yung mga naapektuhan na workers as a result of yung itong Alert Level 3. Because of Alert Level 3, napaka-strict ang mga protocols,” he added.
(Those workers are who we are giving aid to… We are addressing the needs of affected workers as a result of this Alert Level 3. Because of Alert Level 3, the protocols are strict.)
Aside from the displaced workers, around 20,000 others now have reduced working hours, Bello also said.
“Yung kanilang working hours na-reduce [Their working hours have been reduced] under the flexible working arrangement,” he noted.
“There are about 20,000 of them na nabawasan ang working hours nila at dahil nabawasan ang working hours nila, nabawasan ang kanilang kita but their status of employment is secured,” he added.
(There are about 20,000 workers who got their working hours cut and because of that, their pays have been reduced as well but their status of employment is secured.)
Metro Manila and other areas in several regions are currently placed under Alert Level 3 until the end of the month amid the rising COVID-19 cases in the country.
DOLE earlier urged private companies to grant additional paid isolation and quarantine leaves for their workers who either tested positive for the coronavirus or are identified as close contacts of a COVID-19 case.
On Tuesday, the Philippines tallied 28,471 additional COVID-19 cases, pushing the total case count to 3,270,758.