DOLE to provide 10-day emergency employment for Taal-affected individuals

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) announced it will provide a 10-day emergency employment for individuals affected by Taal Volcano’s eruption last week.

In his report to President Rodrigo Duterte during the pre-recorded Talk to the People televised on Wednesday morning, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said 1,006 families or 3,649 persons were affected by the volcano’s phreatomagmatic bursts.

“So dahil dito, Mr. President, ang immediate response ng DOLE ay ‘yung bibigyan sila ng trabaho for 10 days and then give them a salary based on a minimum wage in that region,” Bello said.

(Because of this, Mr. President, the immediate response of DOLE is to provide them work for 10 days and then give them a salary based on a minimum wage in that region.)

“Ang minimum wage sa Region IV is P400 a day. So, they will work for 10 days, we will give them P4,000 for 10 days work. Iyon po ang aming maibibigay agad,” he said.

(The minimum wage in Region IV is P400 a day. So, they will work for 10 days, we will give them P4,000 for 10 days work. That is what we can immediately provide.)

The Labor chief said the agency is prepared in case the number of people affected by Taal Volcano’s unrest increases.

“We are prepared and I’ve instructed our finance officer to make ready and available P50 to P100 million kung saka-sakaling kailangang tulungan ‘yung ating mga kababayan (if ever we need to help more of our fellowmen),” Bello said.

On Saturday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said it has raised the alert status of Taal Volcano from Alert Level 2 (increasing unrest) to Alert Level 3 (magmatic unrest).

PHIVOLCS said the main crater of Taal Volcano "generated a short-lived phreatomagmatic burst" at 7:22 a.m.

This was "followed by nearly continuous phreatomagmatic activity that generated plumes 1500 m accompanied by volcanic earthquake and infrasound signals," PHIVOLCS added.

A total of four volcanic tremor events were observed in Taal Volcano in the past 24 hours, the PHIVOLCS said on Wednesday.

More than 5,800 people have been evacuated from their homes due to the volcano's unrest, the Batangas Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office said Tuesday. —KG, GMA News