Fifty-one volunteer workers from this city received PHP627,300 in salary under the Ilocos Norte government’s short-term employment assistance program on Tuesday to help cover their daily expenses amid soaring oil prices.

Each beneficiary received PHP12,300 for 20 days of work under the Holiday Employment Assistance Program (HEAP) led by the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) of the provincial government.

“After so many years that we have been extending community service to the government even without any compensation, we are happy that they have seen us and given us this privilege,” Dominic Peralta, chairman of the Samahang Ilokano Kabagis Laoag Chapter, told the Philippine News Agency on Tuesday.

According to Peralta, the amount they received from the provincial government will serve as a livelihood support fund for the group, a non-profit organization with chapters both here and abroad.

The beneficiaries first offered community services during the holiday season and later extended their support in February for the Tan-ok Festival, helping keep the area clean and organized before, during and after the event.

During the salary distribution, Ilocos Norte Gov. Cecilia-Araneta Marcos thanked the beneficiaries for their contributions to support various provincial government activities and events.

“Thank you so much for supporting our program. Aside from rendering service during the holiday, you also helped us during the Tan-ok celebration,” Araneta-Marcos said as she enjoined them to continue serving the province for the benefit of the public.

Meanwhile, as big-time oil price hikes take their toll on drivers and commuters, the Ilocos Norte government, in collaboration with various national government agencies, has devised contingency measures to ensure preparedness and stability.

One of the initiatives includes ongoing short-term employment programs like the HEAP.

Anne Marie Lizzette Atuan, PESO Ilocos Norte manager, said in a media interview on Tuesday that more job opportunities will be available this year to provide additional income for job seekers and displaced workers, including a special program for student employment.

Atuan said they have partnered with the Department of Labor and Employment, local government units and private employers to ensure that marginalized earners will have opportunities to earn more.

The provincial PESO also maintains an online jobs portal, a dedicated website that makes job searching and employment within the province easier through a more efficient and technologically updated process.

Ilocos Norte continues to have the highest employment rate in the Ilocos Region, followed by Ilocos Sur, Pangasinan and La Union. (PNA)