DOLE-7 provides free COVID testing for newly hired employees in Central Visayas

The DOLE-7 office in Cebu City. CDN Digital photo | Brian J. Ochoa

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Department of Labor and Employment in Central Visayas (DOLE-7) announced the one-time grant of free COVID-19 testing for qualified newly hired employees who are required to secure a negative RT-PCR test result among pre-employment requirements.

In a statement, the regional agency said it secured a partnership with Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) to conduct RT-PCR tests to qualified beneficiaries.

DOLE-7 will be shouldering the cost of the test on behalf of the qualified beneficiaries, as provided for in its Department Order no. 233 series of 2022 or the Guidelines on Provision of Free COVID-19 testing for newly hired jobseekers.

DOLE-7 director Lilia Estillore said the priority of this program are those newly hired jobseekers in private domestic establishments; agency-hired overseas workers set for deployment, and newly-appointed employees in any branch or offices of the government.

The agency said that interested applicants must comply with the documentary requirements and submit them to the nearest DOLE field office in their area.

DOLE-7 finalized its partnership with VSMMC last Tuesday, September 13, 2022, through the signing of a memorandum of agreement.

For newly hired jobseekers, whose place of work is in Cebu Province and in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu, the testing center will be the VSMMC.

They will have to provide photocopy of any valid government-issued ID; duly accomplished subsidy application form, which could be accessed at the DOLE field office; certificate of engagement, acceptance or appointment as the case may be, duly signed by the establishment owner, general manager or human resource manager in case of private domestic establishments and recruitment agencies deploying workers overseas; or the head of agency’s human resource office or the head of the agency where the item is, in case of government branch or instrumentality.

Moreover, the agency said they are also finalizing its partnership in the testing centers in Negros Oriental, Siquijor and Bohol to also accommodate beneficiaries there.

/bmjo

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