ILO Outlines Approaches to Help Yolanda Victims in North Cebu

Cebu trusted officer of International Labor Organization (ILO) on its rehabilitation efforts in the northern part of the province outlined the four-pronged approach they applied to all typhoon Yolanda victims.

Cebu project coordinator Ivan Ledesma of ILO identified these approaches as enterprise development, skills training, local resource based work, and emergency employment.

Ledesma described ILO’s strategy on their rehabilitation program as useless without the support and strong participation of the local communities, governments, civil service organizations and private sector.

In an interview, Ledesma said they already coordinated with some local government officials in every municipality and city where typhoon victims are residing.

Ledesma said their objective is to have a mutual understanding with them, in which the ILO seems to be the fund capitalist, while the concerned LGU is seemingly the material source to achieve the ILO objective.

The ILO trusted man in Cebu also said they want to be successful in dealing emergency employment to some qualified calamity victims, as immediate relief strategy of ILO to help them reconstruct their communities.

Ledesma also pointed out that basic employment should start even during the reconstruction works of houses in the community.

But Ledesma said basically it is not enough there, ILO sets a mechanism where skills training can be applied in every area of reconstructions.

Ledesma added that such trainings include electrical, plumbing, hollow block making, carpentry and many others, the ILO facilitates to make its mission fruitful to the concerned communities.

According to Ledesma after the training, ILO will have to collaborate with different institutions, organizations, the government and local communities for the immediate employment to those well trained individuals.

He said ILO purpose of helping the rehabilitation of Cebuanos in the Yolanda affected areas is to achieve meaningful changes in their lives after their sad experiences on the effect of the strongest typhoon Yolanda which happened for the first time in the Philippine archipelago.

The ILO extended its all-out support to the 15 municipalities and one city in the northern part of Cebu province.

These are Bogo City, municipalities of Medillin, Tabogon, Borbon, Tabuelan, Tuburan, Sogod, San Remegio, Daanbantayan, Bantayan, Sta. Fe, Medredijos, Pilar, San Francisco, Poro and Tudela.