The number of displaced workers due to the COVID-19 pandemic has breached the one-million mark, the Department of Labor and Employment said.
Citing reports from their regional offices, the Labor department said some 1,048,649 workers in the formal sector were either affected by temporary closures or flexible work arrangements.
“This figure is on top of the close to quarter of a million informal sector workers needing assistance under the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Displaced/Disadvantaged Workers Program-Barangay Ko, Bahay ko program,” the DoLE said.
According to the Labor department, as of April 11, Metro Manila recorded the highest displacement with about 246,810 workers, followed by Central Luzon (Region 3) with 179,875, Calabarzon (Region 4-A) with 99,178, Davao region with 90,414, Region 2 with 75,189, Central Visayas with 51,150, Cordillera region with 46,614, Region 10 with 46,351, the Bicol region with 41,322, Region 6 with 36,526, and Mimaropa (Region 4-B) with 30,721.
Areas with least affected workers are Caraga with 26,981, Region 8 with 24,940, Region 9 with 24,664, Region 1 with 17,378, and Region 12 with 11,536.
The DoLE said most of the affected were displaced by the temporary closure of about 31,612 establishments involving 719, 649 workers, with another 10,224 enterprises resorting to flexible work arrangements which include reduction of workdays, work rotation, forced leave, and work from home or telecommuting affecting 366,404 workers.
It added that majority of the workers belong to manufacturing, hotel, restaurants and tourism-related sectors, and education.
DoLE Assistant Secretary Dominique Rubia-Tutay said they have assisted about 180,000 workers with close to P900 million.
Tutay said with only P1.61 billion in available funds under the COVID Adjustment Measures Program, she said they will reach only about 322,000 workers with the assistance. (Leslie Aquino)
