ILOILO City – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and the Department of Budget Management (DBM) reiterated their commitment to help Iloilo City in its fight against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by increasing the program support of the national government under President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.
DOLE secretary Silvestre Bello III, DBM secretary Wendel Avisado and OWWA administrator Hans Leo Cacdac are coming over today to update local chief executives, legislators and stakeholders, and discuss with them measures focused on recovery from the pandemic.
Rep. Julienne “Jam-jam” Baronda said, “the pandemic adversely affected many aspects of our society. Thus, we welcome the increased support from the national government. The presence of our Cabinet secretaries shows the care and concern of the Duterte government to the Ilonggos.”
The high-ranking government officials will meet with Mayor Jerry Treñas and Baronda over breakfast and then turn over assistance to market vendors.
They will also award livelihood assistance and scholarship grants to recipients from the city and provinces of Western Visayas.
There will also be a briefing on their ongoing and upcoming programs.
Raissa Treñas of Uswag Ilonggo will also join the distribution of NegoKarts to 50 market vendors from Jaro Big Market and Mandurriao Public Market.
“Our governance of HOPE or programs focused on health, obra or employment, peace and order as well as education, are aligned with the mandates of DOLE, OWWA and DBM,” Baronda said. “By collaborating with them, we are sure to deliver better services to the Ilonggos,” she added.
MORE EMPLOYMENT
“Secretary Bello has been very supportive of our initiatives to create job opportunities for the residents of Iloilo City,” Baronda told Panay News.
For 2021, DOLE allocated P45 million in assistance to Iloilo City through its Government Internship Program (GIP), Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Displaced / Disadvantaged Workers Program (TUPAD), and COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP).
“These programs on employment are crucial to reviving our economy,” said Baronda, adding that “strengthening the purchasing power of Ilonggos will also improve the condition of our local enterprises.”
Baronda said the assistance will benefit around 4,000 – 4,500 qualified Ilonggos.
Aside from the DOLE’s GIP, TUPAD and CAMP, the agency also included 50 vendors from Jaro Big Market and Mandurriao Public Market in their NegoKart Project.
“The NegoKart Project is aligned with our initiative to improve the lives of the Ilonggos. It will award the beneficiaries with monetary, logistical and training support to ensure that their businesses become sustainable,” said the first woman House representative of Iloilo City.
From the time she held office up to December of last year, around P47 million in monetary assistance was facilitated by the Legislative District Office for employment programs in Iloilo City.
Further, an additional amount of close to P8 million was released for individuals whose livelihoods have been affected by COVID-19 last year.
AID FOR OFWS
“Secretary Bello has also been vital in helping our overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) cope with the adverse effects of the pandemic,” Baronda shared.
The “DOLE-AKAP for OFWs” was launched specifically to provide financial assistance to land-based and sea-based OFWs who lost their employment to COVID-19. Their data reveals a total spend of around P200 million was released to 22,725 OFWs from Western Visayas.
Further, through the OWWA, an attached agency of DOLE, 67,576 OFWs from Region 6, of which 6,731 are residents of Iloilo City, have been repatriated.
OWWA has also been providing assistance for the education for the children of our OFWs. OWWA Regional Office revealed that as of February 2021, P1.14 million was spent for their program Alalay sa Pag-aaral para sa mga anak-OFWs sa Panahon ng Pandemya (PAP), and another P1.3 million was disbursed for Project EASE or the Educational Assistance through Scholarship in Emergencies.
SUPPORT FOR FRONTLINERS
The DBM has also committed to support our frontliners by providing Emergency Response Vehicles to all seven districts in Iloilo City, and to the city government.
“These vehicles will provide our frontliners with better mobility during this pandemic,” Baronda said.
“As these vehicles will be stationed in their respective districts, it will aid our barangay leaders and barangay frontliners combat COVID 19 more efficiently and allow them to serve their communities better,” she added./PN
