Gov't to start home-building program in Leyte, Samar

The government will start to hire survivors of typhoon “Yolanda” to build semi-permanent housing in an effort to jump start the economy with jobs and income as well as provide shelter to the thousands who lost their homes. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said the emergency employment program will start in Ormoc, Leyte.

The government said it has set aside an initial P50 million for the program.

"We will begin as soon as the local government units in the devastated areas have submitted their work programs for the emergency employment. They will tell us how many workers will work and for how long, which should not be less than 15 days as per our agreement with Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman of the Department of Social Welfare and Development," Labor Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz said.

"Our aim in implementing emergency employment and livelihood programs is to enable disaster-stricken families to rebuild their lives, with better access to social protection and sustainable income sources," she added. Baldoz said 12,671 workers in Leyte, Eastern Samar, and Western Samar will benefit from the program.

"They will be paid P260 per day, the minimum wage rate in the region and they will be provided social security benefits, including insurance in case of accidents," she said. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said it has identified an 8-hectare site it will start to clear to make way for bunkhouses.