Thousands lost jobs after storm hit Visayas

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines — Alma Palacio, 23, once worked in a big business establishment in this city before it ceased to operate after Supertyphoon “Yolanda” hit.

Palacio is among those seeking emergency work at the regional office of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Eastern Visayas.

The regional DOLE reported that more than 19,000 workers in devastated areas in Eastern Visayas had lost their jobs after the establishments they worked for ceased operations after the typhoon.

Exequiel Sarcauga, labor regional director, said the jobless figure was based on the initial assessment of businesses in areas hit by Yolanda, particularly in Tacloban City.

Based on a DOLE study held in the second week of December, at least 19,052 workers from 2,230 business establishments had lost their jobs.

Of the 2,230 establishments monitored by the DOLE, 1,597 were from Leyte province, including 70 in Tacloban, 70 from Samar province, 447 from Eastern Samar province and 116 from Biliran province.

The establishments in Leyte, Samar, Eastern Samar and Biliran that were affected by Yolanda had a combined work force of 28,528.

Of the workers who lost their jobs, 17,135 are from Tacloban City and Leyte, 1,325 from Eastern Samar, 545 workers from Samar and 47 from Biliran.

Most of the displaced workers, however, are from the 841 business establishments in Tacloban City, the DOLE reported.

Sarcauga, however, could not say how many workers were employed in Tacloban prior to the storm that hit the city on November 8.