Labor Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz has assured agriculture sector workers of the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) assistance as El Niño threatens the farming industry in the country.
Baldoz made the DOLE’s assurance of assistance after the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (DOST-Pagasa) reported that a “mature strong El Niño is now present in the tropical Pacific Ocean, which is likely to strengthen further before the end of 2015, and may last until May 2016.”
According to Pagasa, this event will potentially be among the four strongest since 1950, and is expected to affect 67 provinces that will experience either dry condition, dry spell or drought.
“The DOLE’s main intervention is to provide emergency employment to affected workers. We have a budget of P649.81 million for this intervention,” Baldoz said, adding that the amount will be dispensed with in the remainder of 2015 and in the first quarter of 2016.
She said P316.86 million of the total budget is readied for allocation in the fourth quarter of 2015, while another P332.95 million is available for disbursement in the first quarter of 2016.
“With this emergency employment budget, we expect to assist 69,804 farmers across the regions,” the labor secretary added.
Among the priority beneficiaries of the DOLE’s emergency employment program are workers in the informal sector, such as farm laborers, and workers in the formal sector, comprised of agricultural and agribusiness workers, specifically plantation workers; hired workers in farms, workers in agribusiness whose inputs are primarily agricultural products; and farmworkers not involved in rice production.
Baldoz said the nature of the DOLE’s assistance is temporary wage employment, and the beneficiaries, aside from receiving the prevailing minimum wage in their respective areas, will be provided with group accident insurance, appropriate personal protective equipment (PPEs), and orientation on safety and health prior to engagement to work. Possible work for emergency employment includes clearing activities, and repairs of infrastructure and irrigation projects.
The DOLE convened early in September its concerned central office agencies, together with the representatives of Pagasa and the National Economic and Development Authority, to draw up interventions that will address the needs of the affected workers.
Baldoz, citing a report from the DOLE’s Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns (BWSC) Director Ahmma Charisma L. Satumba, added that the DOLE is pursuing its partnership with the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), which will identify the affected farmworkers who will receive the package of services from the DOLE. The BWSC has drafted a memorandum of agreement for this undertaking, subject for review by the NIA.
“We have discussed with the NIA about possible complementation of the DOLE’s emergency employment program with that of NIA’s farm- production projects,” Baldoz said.
Other interventions that the DOLE may offer include the provision of livelihood assistance, skills training from Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, and employment-facilitation services.