THE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) recorded 4,238 establishments that have implemented a temporary closure, affecting 59,969 workers, from March to October 2020.
DOLE-CAR Director Exequiel Guzman said aside from the temporary closure of establishments in the region, a retrenchment of over 130 individual workers are in effect after another 20 establishments filed for permanent closure.
"There are 144 establishments that have reported retrenchment and reduction of workers affecting 5,903 workers. Twenty establishments have reported permanent closure, affecting 131 workers. This is the result of our monitoring on the effects of Covid on our workers in CAR since March to October," Guzman said.
The Regional Labor Department recorded 393 establishments in CAR that resorted to a reduction of workdays of their employees, which affected 9,857 workers, while some implemented telecommuting or the Work From Home system, affecting 1,489 workers.
"Two hundred fifty-seven establishments in the region required 3,619 workers to go on forced leaves, while 205 establishments reported the implementation of a rotation of workers which affected 4,438 workers," Guzman said.
It also recorded 942 establishments in the region that implemented a flexible working arrangement system that affected 9,857 workers.
DOLE-CAR, under its Covid Adjustment Measure (CAM) program, benefitted more than 25,000 workers, amounting to P125 million, under the Bayanihan 2 program of the national government.
It is awaiting the second round of assistance, depending on the amount needed for the region.
"For the unserved, which is around 50,000 workers, we still need around P300 million for CAR, this does not include those that have not applied yet which is why we are anticipating that we will implement CAM 2 starting this month until December this year. We have also implemented the Tupad assistance or the emergency employment assistance for displaced workers in the informal sectors which is not under the Social Amelioration Program and who has no work after being displaced from work and this will continue under the Bayanihan 2 of Tupad for our beneficiaries in CAR, excluding the congressional initiatives," Guzman added.