Yolanda survivors urged to help generate jobs

MANILA, Philippines - Instead of leaving their seemingly hopeless communities, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Saturday urged victims of Super Typhoon Yolanda to stay put and help generate jobs in their hometowns.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said typhoon victims, including those from Tacloban, should learn from the experiences of the people of Kamaishi, Japan who are now recovering from the 2011 killer tsunami.

Baldoz visited Kamaishi recently and met its residents, many of whom decided to stay despite the destruction and deaths caused by the tsunami.        

Kamaishi, along with other coastal areas in eastern Japan, was destroyed when a giant tsunami spawned by the Great East Japan Earthquake inundated the city, destroying businesses and infrastructure.

The labor chief cited the story of one resident who just inaugurated a seaweed factory a day before the tragedy struck. He opted not to leave Kamaishi so he could help the government rebuild their community.

Baldoz said she admires the resiliency of Japan’s hometown entrepreneurs.

She urged small business owners in the Philippines, particularly those from Yolanda-hit areas, to learn a lesson or two from the Japanese.

“Small and medium enterprises which remain and invest back in their communities after a disaster deserve not only full government support but also public recognition for their invaluable contribution to recovery,” Baldoz said.