Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma (Photo from DOLE Facebook page)
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has a total of P50 million worth of assistance in the pipeline for jeepney drivers affected by the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP).
In a message to INQUIRER.net, Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said that the agency would also assist drivers through livelihood retraining with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
“Additional 1.5 [thousand] beneficiaries, more or less are on the pipeline to be awarded with funding of more or less 50 [million]. Yes, we will also assist in terms of skills training and retraining through TESDA, as well as job facilitation through our Regional Offices with the help of the Public Employment Service Office of the different LGUs [ocal government units],” Laguesma said.
READ: Group hits PUV modernization program
He said that DOLE had already assisted round 4,000 drivers through livelihood grants for rice retailing, sari-sari stores, food vending, tailoring, and more.
Laguesma also said that the DOLE had a memorandum of agreement with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board to provide livelihood assistance to the affected drivers.
In a separate statement, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) also said it they could offer aid to drivers affected by the PUVMP.
“The DSWD would like to emphasize that as the lead agency in social protection, it has programs and services that individuals, including jeepney drivers, who are experiencing crisis can avail of and that the agency is ready to assist them, when necessary,” DSWD Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said.
The DSWD said, however, that the one-time financial assistance given to drivers would be based on the assessment of social workers.