MANILA – The Department of Labor and Employment-National Capital Region (DOLE-NCR) on Friday said the emergency employment for informal sector workers in the city of Manila will involve sanitation and disinfection of public places and communities.
DOLE NCR regional director Sarah Buena Mirasol said the electric tricycle (e-trike) drivers will work in the barangays and will not ferry frontline workers to and from their workplaces.
“While we confirm that the emergency employment program will benefit e-trike drivers of Manila, their work, however, will be done in their respective barangays to disinfect their residences and public places. They will perform this job with strict adherence to social distancing,” she said in a statement.
Mirasol added that funds are already available for the emergency employment scheme.
It was reported that the e-trike drivers were hired to service health workers during the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon.
Mirasol said the measure is under the Barangay Ko, Bahay Ko (BKBK) work scheme of DOLE’s Tulong Pangkabuhayan sa Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program.
BKBK is a special work scheme devised to help informal sector workers that conform with the social distancing protocol to address the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
Under the emergency employment program, workers will be compensated for their 10-day work. Their nature of work shall be the disinfection/sanitation of their houses/dwellings and the immediate vicinity of their houses.
Earlier, the DOLE said it is looking to assist 16,000 informal sector workers, and, through the TUPAD, will roll out Php180-million for the program.
It is a community based (municipality/barangay) package of assistance that provides temporary wage employment for the displaced workers, underemployed and self-employed workers. (PNA)
