City of Manila to hire 100 seamstresses, 20 master cutters to make 1M face masks

The City of Manila is looking for over 100 seamstresses and 20 master cutters to make one million reusable masks for residents who can’t afford to buy their own.

According to Mariz Umali’s report on “24 Oras” Thursday, those who wish to apply should be between 21 and 59 years old, and must be a resident of Manila.

Applicants must also be good at sewing since they'll be required to make 50 masks per day to reach their quota.

“Marami naman po talagang na-displace during the COVID pandemic so ito pong pagkakaroon ng pagkakataon na kumita sa marangal na pamamaraan, P2,000 din kada araw, napakalaking tulong po ito,” said Fernan Bermejo, Director of the Public Employment Services Office–Manila.

The 2-month program is set to start this coming Monday and applicants will undergo a practical test this weekend.

Five classrooms at Universidad de Manila have been converted to sewing rooms for the seamstresses.

For each room, only 10 sewing machines can be found as to promote social distancing.

Aside from sending the finished products to the Manila Department of Social Welfare for quality control, the city government will also be hiring jeepney drivers to fetch and bring the hired seamstresses home amid the lack of public transportation. – Kaela Malig/RC, GMA News