(Photos by Janna Marie Pineda/PIA-NCR)
MANILA, (PIA) -- President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Sunday, April 30, assured that the protection of all Filipino workers is one of the utmost priorities of his administration.
“Bilang Pangulo, ipinapangako ko na ang proteksyon para sa manggagawang Pilipino ay mananatiling pangunahing prayoridad ng aking Administrasyon (As President, I pledge that protection for the Filipino worker will remain a top priority of my Administration),” Pres. Marcos said during a series of events held at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City, as part of the 121st Labor Day Celebration on Sunday, April 30, a day before the actual Labor Day celebration on May 1.
“Asahan po ninyo ang aking buong suporta para sa lahat ng manggagawang Pilipino (Please expect my full support for all Filipino workers),” he added.
The President said that aside from the various programs being offered to benefit the workers, mechanisms have been put in place by his administration in order to help them, and to speed up the process of addressing their most pressing concerns.
"Hindi natatapos sa araw na ito lamang ang tulong na hatid natin sa ating mga manggagawa (The delivery of assistance we bring to our workers does not end on this day)," he said.
"Ang mga ito ay ilan lamang sa inisyatiba na ginagawa ng inyong pamahalaan upang mapabuti ang kalagayan ng ating mga manggagawa (These are only some of the initiatives that the government is doing to improve the condition of our workers)," he added.
Earlier on, Pres. Marcos headed the ceremonial distribution of over P1.8 billion worth of wages and livelihood assistance to over 313,000 workers on pre-Labor Day through the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) livelihood projects nationwide.
He also opened the "Kadiwa ng Pangulo Para sa Manggagawa" to help workers nationwide buy commodities at lower prices. The Kadiwa also enables the country's farmers and merchants to sell goods directly to consumers without the trader-intermediaries, allowing them to reap higher profits while still offering quality products at an affordable price.
A total of 150 participating sellers gathered during the Presidential event in Pasay City. While Filipino workers can buy products from over 606 enterprises and 1,223 sellers in various Kadiwa sites nationwide.
The President also led the distribution of different government aid to 1,400 beneficiaries after visiting an ongoing job fair that featured 902 participating employers, offering more than 50,000 jobs, with around 12,000 at the SMX Convention Center.
This morning's event is being presented by DOLE in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the Department of Agriculture (DA).
Moreover, the Chief Executive witnessed the signing of linkages that aim to boost employment, economic activities, and human development in the country. Among these is a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing between the DHSUD and DOLE on the implementation of DOLE-TESDA Training- cum-Production Convergence Program. (PIA-NCR)
