By Rene V. Carbayas
ISABELA CITY, Basilan – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) here led on Friday
the 113th Labor Day celebration with the awarding of P307,667 worth
of Kabuhayan Starter Kits to some 50 beneficiaries.
The beneficiaries, coming
from the city’s 20 barangays, received livelihood implements, equipment and
start up goods and consumables for food processing and native snacks
preparation, sewing and cosmetology, carpentry, and vulcanizing and welding.
Out of the 50
beneficiaries, about half of them turned up for the turnover. The rest of the
beneficiaries, however, could still claim their starter kits anytime from the
DOLE office.
DOLE-Isabela chief Ian A.
Lahi said in an interview that the agency is planning to conduct a gender
equality session within the labor month since most of the starter kits
beneficiaries are women.
Lahi reminded the workers
that aside from looking after their own welfare, they should look after the
condition of their employers “in order to achieve a harmonious relationship at
the workplace. The need for labor-management cooperation is a must.”
He revealed that when he
assumed office last February, there were only three reported violations on
labor standards and were already resolved.
The agency also plans to
conduct in-plant labor standard orientation and education soon so that the workers
will be aware of their rights including the correct compensation they should be
receiving.
Moreover, DOLE also
reactivated the dormant Tripartite Industrial Peace Council of the city to help
the agency in its cause, especially in strengthening the relationship between
labor and management and likewise for the management to comply with general
labor standards, including work safety and health standards.
Lahi also revealed that
the agency has allocated some P800 thousand of the Bottoms-Up Budgeting (BUB)
mechanism to help the out-of-school youths of Isabela City. He said that the
budget is ready and that the agency is already in the process of preparing the
proposal to be submitted to the regional office for approval. The Nagdilaab
Foundation was identified as possible conduit of the said project.
Prior to the turnover of starter kits, a cleanup drive at
selected main thoroughfares of the city was conducted involving some 100
beneficiaries of the Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES) and a number
of starter kits recpients, the labor group of the Isabela port, the police, and
some private individuals.
Lahi also disclosed that
DOLE would support over 500 SPES beneficiaries in the city this year. The
program has been implemented since 1994 and has produced career professionals
and successful individuals. In fact, according to DOLE, Isabela City Mayor
Cherrylyn Santos-Akbar was one of the SPES babies.