A livelihood orientation was held for displaced MEPZ workers at the City Sports Complex on August 1, for Lapu-Lapu City residents.
CEBU CITY, Philippines—The Department of Labor and Employment in Central Visayas (DOLE-7), in coordination with the Lapu-Lapu City Government, conducted a livelihood orientation and proposal writeshop to displaced Mactan Export Processing Zone (MEPZ) workers.
The activity was held at the City Sports Complex on August 1, for Lapu-Lapu City residents. Another one is scheduled on Wednesday, August, 2 for non-city residents.
Jesus Macbeth Montecillo, senior labor and employment office (SLEO) of DOLE-7, said that participants are trained to do business and submit business plans.
READ MORE: MEPZ retrenchment alarms Lapu-Lapu City official
The agency will fund its proposed business plan. It may be a business plan for sari-sari store, carinderia, and fishing implements for those in the fisheries sector.
But since this particular livelihood orientation is for MEPZ displaced workers, business plan, business plan suited for their background is required.
Mother Business Plan
Montecillo added that DOLE will then make the overall, “Mother Business Plan”, which includes the total amount of funds needed by the business plan submitted by trainees, for funding.
DOLE will then allocate funds for the total amount needed.
Montecillo said the ceiling amount for each trainee must not be more than P30,000.
“She has an instruction nga kadtong mga displaced workers sa SCI tagaan namo ug intervention and opportunity to avail the livelihood kit program of DOLE. But this is intended only to those nga wala nay plano nga motrabaho ug balik,” Montecillo said.
The livelihood assistance can be availed individually or by a group of displaced workers.
“Dili ni siya kwarta ha among ihatag nila, in partnership with Lapu-Lapu City, the Lapu-Lapu City will be the ones to purchase the items that they wanted to sell. Unya ihatag ni nila, ipa-receive, then i-liquidate,” he added.
Another 120 retrenched
Meanwhile, Kim Francisco, head of the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) in Lapu-Lapu City, revealed that another 120 MEPZ workers were retrenched from work.
The said company was engaged in wire harness manufacturing.
Currently, Francisco said that they are now profiling these affected workers for the implementation of several interventions.
“’Coz we wanted to help our displaced workers. It may be nga dili sila taga Lapu-Lapu, but the government has to intervene and help our displace workers,” Francisco said.
Earlier, the PESO had scheduled barangay job fairs to help those retrenched workers to find a new job.
/bmjo