DOLE eyes creation of one million jobs in the provinces

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello says they are working on a recovery plan post-COVID-19 which will provide 1 million jobs to Filipinos.  | Inquirer file photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines—The Department of Labor and Employement (DOLE) plans to create one million jobs in the provinces as part of the government’s recovery plan for post-coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak.

“Tomorrow, we will observe Labor Day as we continue to grapple with the COVID pandemic,”  said Secretary Silvestre Bello III, in his Labor Day message posted on the DOLE website Thursday, April 30, 2020.

According to Bello, the DOLE, together with the Department of Trade and Industry, will issue joint guidelines to prepare the workers for the “new normal.” 

These guidelines will ensure workplace protection and prevention from the virus, he added.

“Also, we are deep into the details of a recovery plan post-COVID for the generation of a fresh one million jobs in the provinces for our workers in the coming months,” the labor secretary said.

The creation of one million jobs form part of a package that includes a three-month wage subsidy for workers employed in micro and small-scale enterprises, including those in the “gig” economy and members of the mass media, Bello explained.

Read more: DOLE’s TUPAD

“Since the recovery plan is anchored on the concept of “balik-probinsya,” we will continue and enhance the implementation of the labor department’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/ Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program for the next three months to employ “returnees” and those in the barangays,” he said.

Earlier, the department said that it had granted one-time cash assistance to at least 236,412 workers who were displaced following the implementation of the community quarantine.

Read more: Close to 22K CV workers receive cash assistance from DOLE

The World Bank, in a report, said that the country’s economic growth had been projected to significantly decelerate this year due to impact of the coronavirus 2019 outbreak.

The economy’s deceleration will be due to  a slowdown in trade, investment, tourism, remittances, and social distancing—including the associated community quarantine, according to WB report.

“Nevertheless, economic growth is expected to rebound gradually in 2021-2022 as global conditions improve, and with more robust domestic activity bolstered by the public investment momentum and a boost from 2022 election-related spending,” according to the WB report./dbs