According to data from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), thousands of workers have been affected by the closure of food and hotel accommodation businesses due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
According to the DOLE, as many as 290,767 workers from the food and accommodation business have lost their jobs due to the temporary closure of companies. They are from 19,516 establishments.
It will be recalled that many businesses were temporarily halted when the government limited essential businesses to those open due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
When lockdown protocols were relaxed, some businesses were allowed to operate in a limited capacity.
Some businesses will temporarily close, such as the Makati Shangri-la Hotel, due to the pandemic. They also plan to lay off employees.
According to Labor Undersecretary Dominique Tutay, they will focus on providing company benefits. And they are also waiting for the official notice from here.
“[We will] look into providing their separation benefits if the computation is correct. They would want alternative jobs so they will match their skills with the existing vacancies from other companies,” said Tutay.
Thousands of employees affected by closed businesses – DOLE
At the same time, some food and accommodation businesses closed, affecting 40,465 workers from 3,858 establishments.
According to the DOLE, they are still accepting applications for the COVID Adjustment Measures Program – their aid program for workers affected by the pandemic.
The group Defend Jobs Philippines, also launched a hotline to help those who lost their jobs.
Apart from the tourism industry, those affected include administrative and support service industries such as recruitment agencies and security providers, small businesses such as computer shops, laundry service, car wash, and salons, as well as manufacturing and construction are expected to boost in 2021.
Early this month, Federation of Free Workers (FFW) president Sonny Matula, more workers would lose their jobs this year if the government would not support job-generating programs.
Matula added many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) would not survive the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic without the support of the government. SMEs comprise a majority of firms in the country.