Mandaue fishers, vendors to get “emergency jobs”

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Labor and Employment-7 assured to extend temporary livelihood programs to the affected fishermen and fish vendors at the Mandaue City Public Market through their emergency employment program.

Musolini Suliva, head of the City Public Employment Services Office yesterday said that during the City’s Tripartite Industrial Council meeting last Friday, DOLE assured affected fishermen and fish vendors in the city that they can avail of the emergency employment program from their agency while the ill-effects of the oil spill from the MV St. Thomas Aquinas are still there.

DOLE’s emergency employment program was previously implemented during the global financial crisis in 2009 and 2010.

Under the program, Suliva said fishermen and vendors will receive wages from DOLE for at least 45 days for helping in the cleanup of the oil spill. Some 180 fish vendors at the public market may be able to avail of the program. There are about 300 fishermen in the city, according to the City Agricultural Office.

Fish vendors and fishermen lost income after many people refrained from eating fish because of the oil spill and for fear that fish may have eaten human flesh from the shipwreck.

Meanwhile, Department of Social Welfare and Development Central Visayas Regional Director Mercedita Jabagat urged private individuals and businessmen to donate goods for the affected fisherfolk in Cordova.

DSWD-7 recently turned over 8,184 family food packs for 2,728 affected families of oil spill-stricken communities in the town of Cordova.

Jabagat said that they immediately coordinated with Rep. Luigi Quisumbing, the Local Government Unit of Cordova and other concerned national government agencies to mitigate the impact of the disaster.

“However, our resources are also limited so we are calling private individuals and businessman to donate goods for the affected fisherfolk,” Jabagat said.

DSWD-7 information officer Kerwin Macopia said that canned goods, rice, bottled water and toiletries are preferred items.

He added that donations may be dropped-in at the DSWD-7 Regional Office located at corner MJ Cuenco and General Maxilom avenues, Cebu City. One may look for Disaster Risk Reduction Management focal person Jennifer Abastillas.

Meanwhile, DSWD’s Quick Response Team is still on standby to monitor and update on the response and rehabilitation efforts in the affected areas.

Earlier, social workers were deployed to the 2Go terminal, Sugbutel, Stella Maris Hotel and different hospitals and funeral parlors to conduct emotional comfort and defusing to the survivors as well as to the families of the dead and missing persons. —Flor Z. Perolina and Marigold P. Lebumfacil/BRP