ILO donates $50,000 for typhoon victims in Mindanao

MANILA, Philippines - The International Labor Organization (ILO) has granted $50,000 to the Philippines fto jumpstart rehabilitation and alternative livelihood programs for the victims of typhoon “Pablo“ in Mindanao.

ILO Director General Guy Ryder arrived yesterday for a two-day visit and to extend assistance and sympathies to typhoon victims, including displaced workers.

“Urgent action is needed to rebuild communities and livelihoods. Workers in vulnerable forms of employment, farmers and indigenous peoples are even more at risk than most to such disasters, and are often forced to accept any kind of work just to survive,” Ryder said.

The ILO also sought the assistance of its development partners related to culture-sensitive disaster response for indigenous peoples, local resource-based employment generation and establishment of community-based organizations for construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of local infrastructures.

“Decent jobs and sustainable livelihoods not only help people regain their self-esteem and their lives but also support the nation in rebuilding and moving ahead,” Ryder said.

The typhoon has directly affected an estimated 2.3 million workers, most of them women, youth aged 15-24, and vulnerable or unpaid family workers with limited income and social security.    

The devastation has also taken its toll on the livelihoods of 767,000 agricultural and fishery workers.

Ryder’s two-day visit is his first to the Philippines since he was elected as the 10th ILO director-general on Oct. 1, 2012. The last visit of an ILO director-general to the Philippines was in February 1995.

During his visit, Ryder will hold talks with President Aquino.

He also met Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz and representatives of employers and workers organizations, and Mr. Haruhiko Kuroda, president of the Asian Development Bank.

Baldoz informed Ryder of the gains of the Aquino administration, particularly on the efforts to promote global decent work agenda and in ensuring the sustainability of DOLE reforms she had initiated.

She also informed Ryder about developments in Congress about various labor and employment-related measures, particularly the Kasambahay bill, and the institutionalization of tripartite conciliation and mediation for all labor cases.

In a related story, the militant Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) called on Ryder to take action on the continuing violations against the rights of Filipino workers.

“The sad state of workers’ rights in the country demand that the ILO director-general, and the ILO as a whole, speak up and act against the government’s violations of these rights,” KMU head Elmer Labog said.

He claimed that three labor leaders have been slapped with trumped-up charges this year.

The labor group also cited the Aquino government’s refusal to implement a significant wage hike, its legalization of contractual employment and implementation of two-tiered wage system.

All hands on deck

Meanwhile, several government agencies are joining efforts to help the victims of typhoon Pablo.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) urged politicians to put their money to good use instead of spending too much on campaign materials.

James Jimenez, Comelec spokesman, said politicians should help out the typhoon victims and not just think of promoting their candidacy in the next elections.

“Prematurely campaigning politicians... I invite you to match your spending on these campaign materials with a donation to Pablo’s victims,” Jimenez said. – With Evelyn Macairan, Mayen Jaymalin, Mike Frialde