The government has released P20 million in financial assistance to more than 800 public utility vehicle drivers, solo parents, ambulant vendors, marginalized fishermen, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable workers in the National Capital Region (NCR), the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) revealed.
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III awarded the financial aid as part of the government’s economic recovery efforts, particularly for the marginalized sectors affected by the pandemic.
‘Beneficiaries of the DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP) received either bicycle units, electronic loading business, bigasan package, frozen goods, home care products, Nego-Kart (Negosyo sa Kariton), or banca,” Bello said in a statement.
Meanwhile, recipients of the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) Program who underwent emergency employment for 10 days have received their salary amounting to P5,370 each.
Bello highlighted the significant economic contribution of the informal sector workers and reiterated the DOLE’s thrust to reduce their vulnerability to risks either through emergency employment or promotion of entrepreneurship and community enterprises.
He likewise underscored the Duterte administration’s social amelioration programs and the importance of the whole-of-government approach to help the marginalized sector recover from the impact of the pandemic.
Based on the March 2022 Labor Force Survey of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), 36.2 percent or 17.016 million of the total number of employed persons could be considered as workers in the informal sector.
The PSA defines the informal sector as consisting of “units” engaged in the production of goods and services with the primary objective of generating employment and income to the persons concerned in order to earn a living. These units typically operate at a low level of organization, with little or no division between labor and capital as factors of production.