DOLE rehab center for workers hit by work-related injuries to rise in Rizal

A 50-hectare rehabilitation center for employees suffering from work-related injuries will soon rise in Tanay, Rizal, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said Friday.

DOLE Undersecretary Benjo Benavidez said the soon-to-be built Workers' Rehabilitation Center Complex (WRCC) would help workers affected by such infirmities to recover and return to their jobs.

"Ito po ang tutugon sa ating mga kababayan na manggagawa na nakaranas ng work-related accidents o injury. Gusto natin na kahit nakaranas sila ng aksidente o nabalian po sila o nawalan ng isang bahagi ng katawan, gusto natin na sila ay makabalik na manggagawa," Benavidez told reporters in a pre-Labor Day press briefing.

(This will address the plight of workers hit by work-related accidents or injuries. Even if they suffered accidents, broken bones, or lost a part of their body, what we want is to help them return to work.)

The DOLE infrastructure project will be done through the partnership with the Tanay municipal government, the Department of Public Works and Highways, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the project is also set to be signed by the Tanay local government and the involved government agencies in Malacañang Palace on May 1 as part of DOLE's activities for Labor Day, including the 50th anniversary of the Labor Code of the Philippines.

"Gusto natin na ang mga pagawaan ay ligtas at maiwasan 'yung mga aksidente, pero mayroon pa ring mga aksidente na nagaganap. Gusto natin na 'yung mga naaksidente ay makabalik sa kanilang trabaho... Ito ay di lamang para sa pribadong sektor, kasama rin po ang mga manggagawa sa pampublikong sektor," said Benavidez.

(We want our work areas to be safe, but accidents still do happen. We want employees to return to their jobs. This is not only for the private sector, but also for workers in the public sector.)

"Ang gugugulin nito ay ang tinatawag na state-insurance fund na mina-manage ng Employees' Compensation Commission sa pamamagitan ng kanyang dalawang investment arms — ang SSS (Social Security System) at GSIS (Government Service Insurance System)," he said.

(The funding will come from the Employees' Compensation Commission and its investment arms, the SSS and the GSIS.)

Celebrating Labor Day

In a related development, the DOLE is also set to conduct major job fairs in 95 sites across the country in celebration of Labor Day.

At least 2,441 employers will participate in the job fairs, offering a total of 204,818 vacancies. Among the top vacancies are production workers and operators (22,372), customer service representatives (16,305), cashiers, baggers and sales clerks (13,670), laborers, carpenters, and painters (9,125), and service crews (5,971).

The DOLE also said that Pangulo ng KADIWA stalls, and pay-outs for alternative livelihood programs will be available at the job fair sites. Select venues will offer enrollment and conduct demonstrations of skills that may be learned through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

Meanwhile, Benavidez said the DOLE will release a commemorative stamp for the 50th anniversary of the Labor Code.

The DOLE will unveil the stamp during the Labor Day celebration at the Malacañang, where awards will be bestowed for outstanding workers in the Philippines.

The Labor Code of the Philippines was signed on May 1, 1974. — VDV, GMA Integrated News