A group composed of top officials of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is set to meet next week to discuss plans, particularly in providing employment to those affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic once the crisis is over.

In a phone interview during the Laging Handa briefing aired over state-run PTV on Friday, DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III, the committee will discuss post-Covid 19 action plan for workers and stakeholders.

He said the committee will be composed of three undersecretaries and an assistant secretary to would be supervised by a consultant, who is a former Labor secretary.

“Included ‘yan ‘yung employment development, enhancement kasi kailangang kailangan natin ang trabaho (That is included in the employment and enhancement plan because we really need to generate jobs),” Bello said.

Bello did not provide the names of the committee members.

Earlier, he reported that a total of 167,941 formal sector workers were provided one-time cash assistance of PHP5,000, which amounted to over PHP839 million under Covid Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP).

On the other hand, Bello said under the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD)-Barangay ko, Bahay Ko (BKBK) program, some 118,086 informal workers have benefited from the PHP206-million cash aid.

Aside from local workers, DOLE is giving cash assistance amounting to USD200 each to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by the pandemic. (PNA)