Mindanaotoday.com | DOLE-CDO spearheads 2023 Labor Day for informal sector workers
By: Jasper Marie Rucat
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – With about 40% of the labor force belonging to the informal sector here, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Cagayan de Oro Field Office spearheaded the celebration of 2023 Labor Day for Workers in the Informal Sector with the theme: Pabahay, Bilihing Abot Presyo, Benepisyo ng Matatag na Trabaho Para sa Manggagawang Pilipino.
Based on the International Labor Organization, workers in the informal sector comprise 60% of the entire economy, and the workers in the informal sector contribute 48.9% of the total gross domestic product of the economy.
In Cagayan de Oro, the informal sector comprises 40% of the total labor force, said Emmanuel Toledo, provincial director.
Vendors in the market, trisikad drivers, habal-habal drivers, small fisherfolk, small farmers, and women groups are the informal composition of the informal sector in Cagayan de Oro City, Toledo explained.
As to programs and services provided, the director said a number of programs have been delivered to workers in the informal sector, particularly the DOLE integrated livelihood program and Tulong Panghanap-buhay sa Ating Disadvantaged (TUPAD) workers.
For this year, the DOLE Cagayan de Oro City field office has a budget of P21 million for their livelihood, and this P21 million has already been utilized. Further, through TUPAD, informal sector workers are given emergency employment.
Florencia Idulsa received a P6,075 salary after being employed under TUPAD.
“Sa among pagtrabaho sa 15 days nakadawat mi og P6,075 kay nasunogan man mi. Kami tanan nasunogan mi diha sa Lapasan, katong April 11. Mag-apply mi sa DOLE para dugang assistant namo, ipatrabaho mi sa among kaugalingon, gahinlo mi, gatrabaho. Naghinlo atong mga sunog, nagbukbok sa, naghinlo. Okey ra, at least naa mi sweldo,” she said.
(In our work for 15 days, we received P6,075 after being victims of fire. We were all victims of the fire in Lapasan on April 11. We applied to DOLE for assistance; we worked on our own. We cleaned the fire debris; it’s okay; at least we have a salary)
Meanwhile, Angelica Casiño-Gorigao, school director of Maven Center for Learning and Entrepreneurship, shared that they have been an accredited co-partner of DOLE for two years already and have provided assistance to almost a hundred beneficiaries together with DOLE.
Included in the program are the awarding of certificates to accredited co-partner GANDA Natural Farming System of the Philippines, Inc., the turnover of livelihood grants and TUPAD salaries, and a one-stop shop for basic government services. (JMOR/PIA-10)