DEPARTMENT of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Cagayan de Oro Field Office took the lead in organizing the 2023 Labor Day celebration aimed at recognizing the contribution of informal sector workers.
This year’s theme, “Pabahay, Bilihing Abot Presyo, Benepisyo ng Matatag na Trabaho Para sa Manggagawang Pilipino,” emphasizes the need for affordable housing, goods, and benefits for these workers.
According to the International Labor Organization, workers in the informal sector make up 60% of the economy and contribute 48.9% of the GDP.
In Cagayan de Oro, the informal sector accounts for 40% of the labor force and includes vendors, trisikad and habal-habal drivers, small fisherfolk and farmers, and women’s groups. Emmanuel Toledo, the provincial director, provided this information.
According to the director, several programs have been implemented to assist informal sector workers, including DOLE’s integrated livelihood program and Tulong Panghanap-buhay sa Ating Disadvantaged (TUPAD) workers.
DOLE Cagayan de Oro City field office has a P21 million budget for livelihood programs this year, which has already been utilized.
TUPAD provides emergency employment to informal sector workers, such as Florencia Idulsa, who received a salary of P6,075 after working for 15 days.
Idulsa and her colleagues were affected by a fire in Lapasan last April, but they were able to apply for assistance from DOLE, and they were given work to clean up the affected area.
Idulsa expressed gratitude for the opportunity to earn a salary despite the challenges they faced.
Maven Center for Learning and Entrepreneurship school director Angelica Casiño-Gorigao, revealed that they have been a DOLE-accredited co-partner for two years and have assisted nearly a hundred beneficiaries alongside DOLE.
The program includes awarding certificates to accredited co-partner GANDA Natural Farming System of the Philippines, Inc., distributing livelihood grants and TUPAD salaries, and providing a one-stop shop for basic government services.
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