CENTRAL Visayas employers have been encouraged to grant paid disaster leave and financial assistance to workers affected by recent calamities, the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) Region VII said on Thursday.
In a statement, the Labor department’s Central Visayas regional office said employers may extend paid disaster leave, hazard leave, or immediate financial assistance to employees, depending on their capacity.
‘In response to the request of labor groups amidst this difficult times, Dole VIl, through its Regional Director Roy L. Buenafe, favors to encourage employers to grant workers Disaster Leave with Pay, Hazard Leave with Pay, or Immediate Financial Assistance to alleviate the adverse impact of calamities in their daily lives,’ the regional office said.
The agency added that ‘if company funds will allow,’ employers may also consider releasing early the 13th-month pay and bonuses so workers would have funds for ‘repairs, rent, and other forms of living expenses.’
Central Visayas has been recovering from two major incidents in recent months-the 6.9-magnitude earthquake in September that displaced thousands, and the flooding during Typhoon Tino in November that likewise forced families out of their homes.
Data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) show that the earthquake affected more than 754,000 individuals and damaged 160,662 houses.
Infrastructure losses were estimated at P73.33 million.
For Typhoon Tino, the NDRRMC reported that more than 871,000 people in Central Visayas were affected, with 101,959 houses damaged.
Infrastructure damage reached P109.12 million.
Tupad for displaced workers
Meanwhile, Dole VII said assistance to workers who lost income due to the disasters continues under the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged-Displaced Workers (Tupad) program.
Based on regional data, P4.98 million in wages has so far been released, benefiting 923 workers.
‘These beneficiaries rendered ten [10] days of community work, including cleaning, gardening, and clearing debris caused by Typhoon Tino, particularly along affected roads and public area,’ it said.
The regional office added that an earlier P11 million in Tupad assistance was also provided to 1,513 beneficiaries whose jobs or livelihoods were disrupted by the September earthquake.