By Tara Yap
Iloilo City – While the closure of Boracay is yet to be seen, the Western Visayas office of the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) is already laying the ground work to help thousands of workers that might be displaced in the process.
“We are prepared to assist them when the need arises,” assured Atty. Johnson Cañete, DoLE-6 Regional Director.
Among others, DoLE-6 and the Department of Tourism (DoT-6), in coordination with the local governments of Malay town and Aklan province, are already organizing two job fairs that could help the estimated 17,000 workers in the island find employment if and when the proposed closure pushes through.
DoLE-6 will also partner with the Technical Educations and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to help them upgrade their skills.
Meanwhile, a quick response team is also being organized for deployment to Boracay to help in profiling would-be-displaced workers.