BY KRISTINE CATAMORA & ANGEL NONOL/DSSC Interns
THE DEPARTMENT of Labor and Employment (DOLE) XI is encouraging persons with disabilities (PWDs) to access its regulatory and livelihood programs, even as the agency reported that it has yet to receive any complaints of workplace discrimination against PWDs in the region.
Jenelyn Sanchez, chief of DOLE XI’s Technical Services and Support Division, said PWDs who have complaints against their employers or who feel they are being discriminated against in the workplace may avail of the Single-Entry Approach (SEnA) or request a labor inspection.
Beyond these regulatory services, Sanchez said PWDs who wish to venture into livelihood or entrepreneurship may also tap the DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP), which prioritizes marginalized sectors, including PWDs, although funding is not automatically set aside for them.
“It’s proposal-based because we still have to evaluate the feasibility of the project, as well as the availability of funds in the respective field offices,” she said, adding that the program is implemented year-round and may be accessed anytime.
Sanchez said only nine PWD beneficiaries have so far been provided livelihood assistance under the program. Interested individuals or groups may submit project proposals to DOLE field offices for evaluation based on feasibility and alignment with local employment priorities or development plans.
Asked about the low number of PWD beneficiaries, Sanchez said field offices continue to promote DOLE’s programs during employer forums and orientation events, but noted that uptake this year has leaned toward sectors more directly affected by economic conditions.
“Maybe in the first semester of this year, it was accessed more by the more vulnerable or more affected sector, like transport, because of the oil prices in the first semester — they were the ones directly affected,” she said.
“But since we are proposal-based, we readily accommodate whoever submits, whether an individual PWD or even a group of PWDs, so that we can assess them for inclusion in our program,” she added.
On funding, Sanchez said the ceiling for individual livelihood assistance under a recent department order is P50,000, though not all approved proposals receive the maximum amount.
“So, some receive 30,000, and others do get the maximum of 50,000,” she said, noting that applicants may also access bigger funding by forming groups, since more members would benefit from the assistance.
The type of livelihood assistance granted depends on the project proposed, Sanchez said, citing retail, hog-raising, crop production and recycling as among the livelihood projects PWDs and other beneficiaries have pursued, depending on their locality.
For group applications, funding ranges from a minimum of P500,000 up to P1.5 million for groups with 50 members and above.
