Lapu-Lapu City Council to DSWD: Help 4,000 retrenched MEPZ workers

Lapu-Lapu City Councilor Annabeth Cuizon (facing camera) has submitted a resolution at the City Council urging the Department of Social Welfare and Development to help the 4,000 retrenched workers at MEPZ. | CDN Digital File Photo

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Philippines — The Lapu-Lapu City Council has requested the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to provide assistance to 4,000 retrenched workers from the Mactan Export Processing Zone (MEPZ).

In a resolution that was authored by Councilor Annabeth Cuizon, chairman of the Committee on Social Welfare, she requested Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo, through the regional director of DSWD-7, Shalaine Marie Lucero, to assist these workers as they were in a crisis situation.

“In the midst of economic difficulties, it is very difficult to lose employment and it is urgent for the local government to step in and provide assistance to our residents who are included in the retrenchment,” the resolution read.

The Lapu-Lapu councilor also requested the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) and the Public Employment Services Office (PESO) to conduct profiling of the workers retrenched from five locators of MEPZ and ensure that Lapu-Lapu residents who were affected would be provided with livelihood assistance and/or duly assisted in their job placement.

“Resolved furthermore, to request the Secretary of the Sangguniang Panglungsod of the City of Lapu-Lapu to furnish copies of this resolution to the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO); the Public Employment Services Office (PESO) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development for their information and guidance,” the resolution said.

The resolution was carried in mass motion by the Lapu-Lapu City Council.

Earlier, five MEPZ locators, namely: Mactan Apparels, Inc.; Metro Wear, Inc; Globalwear Manufacturing, Inc.; Feeder Apparel Corporation; and Vertex OOne Apparel Phils. Inc., cited in a statement that the global recession and the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic were some of the reasons for them retrenching some of their workers.

“As the world is now on the brink of global recession, with higher than expected inflation and the global financial conditions are becoming tighter, our business and that of our customers are not an exemption especially being classified as a non-essential luxury product,” read their statement.

However, they promised the affected workers that they would receive their separation pay and benefits.

Lapu-Lapu Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan has also urged the retrenched workers to visit the PESO office so that they could be assisted with possible job placement.

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