DOLE-9 to help affected workers, families during fish ban

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Nov 10 (PIA) – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)-9 assured affected workers in the fishing and canning industries here, that during the annual closed fishing season, they will no longer be jobless.
 
Through the Project Helping Others Prosper Economically (HOPE), Office-in-Charge Regional Director Atty. Roy L. Buenafe said that the fishing and canning workers will be saved from the displacement of job in the fishing industries from December to February next year (fish ban), where in the workers will be provided with livelihood, skills training and emergency employment.
 
“The primary target of the program (Project HOPE) are the affected workers in canning industries where most of them only rely on the job but unfortunately fishing will stop and it would be really hard for them to find other job,” stressed by Atty. Buenafe.
 
The program will not only last after the 3-month fish ban because their dependents will take over whenever they will be going back to work.
 
“The project HOPE is also made to give way for jobless family members when the canning industries will start their operation after fish ban and also, the operation of the project HOPE will keep going,” he added.
 
Moreover, there are thirty-five thousand (35,000) workers in the fishing and canning industries and 70% of them have been catered by this project since 2017.
 
“Malaki talaga ang aking pasasalamat dahil dito, hindi kame nakaranas ng walang trabaho. Kung wala ito (Project HOPE), mahirap talaga,” said Mary Jean D. Gonzaga, President Project HOPE Workers Association.
 
[“I am really grateful because of this, we did not experience unemployment. Without it (Project HOPE), it would really be difficult”.]
 
DOLE-9 continues to reach out to other agencies and other private stakeholders to look for interventions and solutions.
 
Recently, DOLE-9 together with the partner government agencies and canning industries in the city inaugurated the common service facility on manufacturing and processing of super-hot chili products at the Project HOPE Demo Farm in Zamboanga Economic Zone (ZAMBOECOZONE). (RVC/JRA/PIA-Zamboanga City)

Source: Philippines Information Agency (pia.gov.ph)