CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY —Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III awarded PhP7,656,765.50 worth of livelihood assistance to 680 beneficiaries in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA) in Lanao del Norte province during the 5 March 2021 joint meeting of the National and Regional Task Forces to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (N/RTF-ELCAC) with President Rodrigo Roa Duterte at the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines, this city.
The check, under the DOLE Integrated Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program (DILEEP), was turned over to the Accredited Co-Partner Paglingkawas Women Federation thru the President of the League of Municipalities in Lanao del Norte Kapatagan Mayor Barry Y. Baguio.
It is intended to finance various projects of 171 individual beneficiaries and 21 associations like motorcycle parts and services; additional capital for coconut sugar/honey production; retail/consumer store; detergent soap production; banana chips production; poultry chicken raising; swine production; skinless longganisa processing; vulcanizing shop; salabat and turmeric processing; abaca harvesting equipment procurement; rice trading and fertilizer; traditional foods processing and distribution; preservation of marine resources through the enhancement of fish coral as a fishing method for sustainable livelihood; rice trading; tea house capital; and food vending.
Bello emphasized that the beneficiaries are not only vulnerable workers with no social protection making them poorer due to their situation in the GIDA, but also parents of child laborers, persons with disabilities, and senior citizens.
The assistance was based on the provisions mandated under Executive Order No. 70 and aims to achieve sustainable peace through intensified development and other peace-building initiatives through DOLE’S DILEEP.
DILEEP seeks to contribute to poverty reduction and reduce the vulnerability to risks of working poor, vulnerable and marginalized workers either through emergency employment, and promotion of entrepreneurship and community enterprises.
Moreover, 862 beneficiaries in the province, who are mostly displaced workers, underemployed and seasonal workers, will be provided emergency employment under the Department’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD).
Bello turned-over the check amounting to PhP4,719,450.00 to the Barangay Local Government Unit (LGU) of Sarip Alawi thru Mayor Hanifa P. Ali of Balo-i, LDN representing wages for ten days’ work to be paid at PhP365.00 per day.
Emergency employment covers work on social community projects such as repair, maintenance, and/or improvement of common public facilities and infrastructure such as schools and health centers, debris clearing, de-clogging of canals, debris segregation and materials recovery, stockpiling and clearing; economic community projects like repair, maintenance and/or rehabilitation of farm-to-market roads, bridges, post-harvest facilities, public markets and common service facilities such as production and display centers, fish ports; or agroforestry community projects, such as tree planting, seedling preparation, and reforestation.
Under the new normal based on DOLE Department Order No. 219, Series of 2020 or the Guidelines on the implementation of TUPAD under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act, additional work coverage are as follows: provision of assistance to the LGUs thru delivery of essential goods and services such as food and non-food items like personal hygiene items, medicines, personal protective equipment to the frontliners and the general public; packing relief goods and other related tasks assigned by the LGU; and preparation, design, dissemination, posting of information and educational materials, especially in the rural areas. Also, work may be on transport services for setting up of mobile markets; and disinfection/sanitation of community, or other public facilities. (DOLE-10)
