THE PUBLIC Employment Service Office (PESO) Davao and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) XI are working together to assist displaced construction workers due to the public infrastructure slowdown.
During the Kapehan sa Davao on Monday, Shirly Duran, PESO Davao labor and employment officer, said the office is conducting local recruitment activities that cater to the workers in the construction industry.
“Every day we conduct a local recruitment activity in our main office and eight district offices in Davao, they can visit anytime to check available jobs for them, since construction is experiencing a slowdown,” Duran said.
Duran said apart from the visiting job seekers, the office is awaiting referrals from DOLE for the number of displaced workers in the city.
“We readily invite those displaced workers, and if there is a chance, we can provide them emergency employment under TUPAD,” she said.
The Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD) Program under DOLE provides emergency, community-based, temporary employment for 10–30 days to informal-sector workers, underemployed workers, and displaced workers. It offers minimum wage pay, insurance, and safety equipment for tasks like cleaning, serving as a social safety net.
Duran said the major factor in the unemployment of construction workers is controversy surrounding government infrastructure projects, such as flood control initiatives.
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) recently reported that about 550,000 construction workers nationwide have already lost employment.
