THE Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) 7 helped more than 185,000 job seekers find work in 2017, bringing a four percent reduction in the 4.7 million unemployed individuals in Central Visayas, although some of the work was only temporary.
Maria Nancy Abad, chief of the Dole 7’s Technical Support Services Division-Employment Workers Welfare, said this was achieved through a combination of its employment facilitation services where job seekers find work through Public Employment Service Offices (Peso) and job fairs, and the provision of employment through the Dole Integrated Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program (Dileep), and other programs.
In the formal wage sector, 142,219 jobseekers were placed through the Pesos, with 5,751 of these hired on the spot in 118 job fairs supervised by the Dole 7.
“Most of the job fairs were held in Cebu, where the jobs offered were in business process management, construction, health and wellness, tourism, manufacturing and services,” she said.
The Peso is community-based and usually maintained by local government units (LGUs), non-government organizations or community-based organizations and state universities and colleges. They are linked to the regional offices of the Dole for coordination and technical supervision.
Another 25,428 jobs were generated under the Dileep.
The two programs under Dileep are the Kabuhayan, a grant assistance (no payback) for entrepreneurship projects for the poor underemployed or the unemployed who were displaced, and the emergency employment program for displaced workers, the underemployed and unemployed poor called Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa ating Disadvantaged workers (Tupad).
In 2017, some 9,410 jobs were generated in 109 Kabuhayan projects worth P90.21 million, with 37 parents of child laborers, 380 senior citizens, 61 differently abled persons and nine beneficiaries of wounded or killed soldiers during the Marawi siege among the beneficiaries, she said.
On the other hand, P64,804,284 was given as salaries to 16,018 workers under Tupad.
“This is in partnership with the LGUs, where the jobs involved are community and public works only. Dole provides the salaries, insurance, personal protective equipment, if the work is hazardous. The emergency employment is good for 10-30 days only. The salary depends on the LGU’s minimum hiring rate. The LGU provides the work program,” Abad said.
Students and other youth also benefited from Dole 7’s programs.
Some 16,588 student-workers gained work exposure and income subsidy under the Special Program for Employment of poor but deserving Students (SPES), while 1,170 young workers gained practical work experience in the public sector through the Government Internship Program. Under the Jobstart program, 175 at-risk youth also received life skills, technical and internship training and employment facilitation services.
For 2018, the budget of Dole 7 for Dileep covering the two components is P97.3 million, with P50 million of this allocated for Cebu.
“Under Kabuhayan, for individual projects, the maximum amount that we can provide is P20,000 per individual project, depending on the project proposal that they submit and approved by our regional project management team. But for group projects with up to 25 workers, the maximum is P250,000. From 26 to 50 workers, the maximum is P500,000. Then more than that, the maximum is P1 million,” Abad said.
The applicant must put up equity of at least 20 percent of the total project cost.