MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is set to provide emergency employment for residents in Cagayan, Isabela, and Nueva Vizcaya who will be displaced by Typhoon Ompong (Mangkhut).

DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III discussed this in an interview with ANC on Saturday, September 15.  

“That is true, we will provide some emergency employment to displaced farmers, workers, and even residents for the provinces of Cagayan, Isabela, and probably Nueva Vizcaya to give help,” said Bello in a mix of English and Filipino.

The Cabinet secretary said that under the cash-for-work scheme, displaced residents will be tasked to help rehabilitate the entire region, including cleaning houses and roads filled with debris because of the typhoon.

DOLE has an emergency employment program in place in times of disasters. The department has also alerted the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) offices to assist overseas Filipino workers in affected regions. (READ: DFA giving P5,000 aid for OFWs stranded due to Typhoon Ompong)

As of 8 am on Saturday, Ompong has slightly weakened and is now heading toward Ilocos Norte, which remains at risk of storm surges up to 6 meters high. Ilocos Sur, La Union, and Pangasinan could see storm surges of up to 2 meters.

While slightly weakened, Ompong remains strong, packing maximum winds of 185 km/h from the previous 200 km/h and gustiness of up to 305 km/h from the previous 330 km/h.

Thousands of people in affected areas have already been evacuated ahead of Ompong’s landfall. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council earlier estimated that at least 5.2 million people are in the path of the typhoon.

The typhoon has affected more than 126,751 individuals across 5 regions in the Philippines so far. 

More than 6,000 passengers were stranded in various seaports. Domestic and international flights have been canceled. – Rappler.com 

News you can use during Typhoon Ompong (Mangkhut): 

• Weather updates and storm signals 
• Reports on evacuation, emergencies, and rescue and relief efforts
• Typhoon Ompong: Free parking at SM, Ayala, Robinsons, Megaworld malls
• #WalangPasok: Class suspensions for September 13, 14, 15
• Canceled flights due to Typhoon Ompong
• Will Typhoon Ompong be the same as Super Typhoon Lawin?
• COMPARISON: Typhoon Ompong and previous Philippine typhoons
• What gov’t has done so far to prepare for Typhoon Ompong
• Fact-check on viral stories related to Typhoon Ompong 
• DFA giving P5,000 aid for OFWs stranded due to Typhoon Ompong
• 3 dams release water due to Typhoon Ompong 
• Power lines affected by Typhoon Ompong 
• Roads closed due to Typhoon Ompong