ILOILO City – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Region 6 needs 8,000 workers for its cash-for-work emergency employment program in Boracay Island.
Each worker will receive a daily wage of P323.50 or a total of P9,705 for 30 days, said Regional Director Rebecca Geamala.
DSWD-6’s estimate of workers affected by the island’s six-month closure reached some 36,000.
It recommended that its national office allot some P500 million to help these workers in the form of sustainable livelihood and cash-for-work programs.
Work included digging, dredging, desilting of canals and drainage, planting of trees, reforestation, clearing pathways, shelters/facilities repair, demolition of illegal structures, clearing of debris, garbage collection, installation of support facilities, hauling of food and non-food items and the like.
DSWD has been tasked to assist displaced persons in the island’s informal sector such as vendors, trisikad and tricycle drivers, and masseurs, among others.
Geamala said other workers would be performing technical or office work such as assist in the enumeration/profiling, preparation of reports, preparation of replenishment and liquidations, disbursements during actual payments, camp management, operation center management, and monitoring, among others.
“DSWD has allocated P77 million for this program,” said Geamala.
Boracay was closed beginning April 26 for a much needed rehabilitation.
Workers and residents in the barangays of Balabag, Yapak and Manocmanoc affected by the temporary closure would be prioritized in the 30-day cash-for-work scheme, said Geamala.
Successful applicants will be assigned in areas to be identified by Malay, Aklan’s Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
DENR is the lead agency in Boracay’s rehabilitation.
Boracay is under the jurisdiction of the local government of Malay.
Geamala said this DSWD program is separate from the cash-for-work scheme of the Department of Labor and Employment which has been tasked to assist displaced Boracay workers and residents in the formal sector.
Those interested to apply should visit the DSWD Operation Center at Faith Village, Station 3 in Boracay Island, said Geamala.
President Rodrigo Duterte ordered Boracay’s closure, citing the myriad problems such as untreated wastewater in the world-famous island resort.
According to Environment secretary Roy Cimatu, fueling the island’s degradation over the years were runaway development, the influx of people beyond the island’s carrying capacity, poor implementation of environmental regulations, and encroachment of structures.
On the days leading to Boracay’s closure, displaced workers also received transportation allowance from DSWD-6.
The lowest a worker got was P1,500 and the maximum was P5,000 depending on how far the displaced worker lived.
“Giving transportation allowance to workers affected by Boracay’s closure was the first step to help them,” said Geamala.
Once a displaced worker reaches home, he or she would get referrals from his or her place’s social welfare office.
“They would be provided with support services,” said Geamala./PN