IN THE wake of the earthquake swarm that hit Mindanao, the Department of Labor and Employment is preparing to offer emergency employment assistance to displaced workers.
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said they are allocating an estimated P100 million for the assistance to affected workers.
He said they were also prepared to assist those from the informal sector.
"We will provide emergency employment assistance to the affected workers. For the informal sector workers, we could provide livelihood assistance," Bello said.
As of Thursday, October 31, he said he has yet to receive reports on the number of displaced workers in the affected areas.
Senior labor officials and quick response teams have been dispatched to assess the extent of destruction in workplaces and profile displaced workers.
"I have sent Undersecretary Ana Dione and Assistant Secretary Benjo Benavidez to proceed to General Santos City and Davao City, respectively, to lead our regional DOLE officials in the assessment of the situation,” said the official.
Bello said he will personally fly to Davao City on Sunday, November 3, 2019, to see the extent of the damage and its effects on workers.
On Thursday, a magnitude 6.5 earthquake rocked different parts of Mindanao with the epicenter located near Tulunan, Cotabato.
It was the third major earthquake to hit Tulunan. A magnitude 6.3 quake and a magnitude 6.6 tremor also occurred near Tulunan on October 16 and October 29, 2019.
All quakes were inland and shallow, with depths of seven to eight kilometers. Shallow earthquakes are more destructive.
Hundreds of earthquakes and aftershocks have also been plotted since October 16. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)