By Jean Fernandez

Some 300 displaced workers of the fire-hit Star City Complex were given temporary jobs by the Pasay City government and will be assigned to different city hall departments and barangays to work for 30 days.

Filipinas Sampang, head of the Public Employment Service Office (PESO), said the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) had asked Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano to give emergency employment to these workers while the amusement park was being rebuilt after a devastating fire hit the complex early October.

About 25 rides and attractions were reported to have been destroyed, and the management said it would take them at least a year to rehabilitate the entire park.

“Star City, which was hit by the fire, will be closed through the Christmas season,” the management of Star City said in a statement and this left close to 500 workers jobless that prompted DOLE to seek temporary work for these employees.

Through its “Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers,” DOLE allotted P5.5 million for this emergency employment program.

Sampang said that DOLE coordinated with Rubiano to provide work for these workers, and that she was immediately ordered to ask department heads in city hall to provide temporary work for the displaced employees while others were deployed to various barangays.

“Lubos po kaming nagpapasalamat sa DOLE at PESO ng Pasay dahil kami ay binigyan ng pansamantalang trabaho,” said Alma dela Cruz, a ride attendant who was assigned at the city’s public information office to monitor news.

“Marami pong salamat sa tulong at bukas palad na pagtanggap sa amin. Malaking tulong po ito para sa aming pamilya ngayong darating na Pasko. Sana po ay huwag po kayong magsawang tumulong sa amin at sa ibang empleyado.”,” Carmen Francisco, also a ride attendant, who also thanked the labor department and PESO for the temporary job.

Rochelle Andrea Agustines said, “ito po ay magandang oportunidad upang makapag trabaho. Malaking tulong poi to para sa araw-araw naming pangangailangan.”