DOLE sets livelihood programs for Tacloban ‘Yolanda’ housing families

TACLOBAN CITY, Dec. 27 (PNA) -- The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has outlined activities to assist families in this city’s relocation sites next year.

Initially, the labor department had released PHP2.3 million from its 2016 outlay for livelihood assistance of relocated families until early 2017.

Emilia Cruz, Tacloban Public Employment Service Office (PESO) manager, said this is the DOLE’s first commitment to assist relocated families as directed by President Rodrigo Duterte during his visit to the city on Nov. 8 this year.

“There is a PHP20 million budget for benfeciaries for the entire city, but our priority now is the northern relocation sites because of lack of job opportunities in the new township,”,Cruz said.

Another DOLE’s commitment is to hire 170 workers for the Special Program for Employment of the Students from resettlement areas, which will be carried out in summer next year.

The DOLE will also conduct skills registration in preparation for series of employment fairs intended for jobless family members.

The registration aims to determine skills of each person of working age in and match them with local jobs available.

As of last week, the government has moved more than 3,624 families to their new homes in the northern part of the city, away from coastal communities where they settled for decades before super typhoon Yolanda pummeled the city in 2013. (PNA) 

LAP/SQM/Lalaine S. Badilla (OJT)