Where exactly are the informal sector workers? DTI has yet to find out

Workers in the informal sector are suffering badly from the economic impact of COVID-19 due to lack of social safety nets but the government has yet to establish a detailed database to easily locate them for distribution of assistance in the coming months, according to a Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) official on Friday.

During a Senate hearing led by the committees on finance and economic affairs, DTI Undersecretary Rafaelita Aldaba said that the agency is looking at a 30 million possible headcount.

"Ang total employment po natin galing sa Labor Force Survey ay nasa 40 million pero 'yung galing po sa enterprise data, ang total workers po natin doon ay nasa eight million lang kaya mayroon pong difference na 32 million," she said.

"Kaya pag iisipin mo, saan nanggaling 'yung difference na yun? 'Yun po 'yung mga tao na pwede nating sabihing nagtatrabaho sa informal sector—ito po 'yung mga nagtitinda sa kalye, mga fisherfolk na hindi naman po sila sakop ng mga enterprise survey na ginagawa," she added.

"Parang almost 80% ay nasa informal sector. 'Yan po 'yung gusto nating tingnan pa nang mas malalim para mas maintindihan namin kung nasaan po sila."

She underscored that identifying where they are would help shape the appropriate intervention for the recovery of the informal economy.

"Makikipagtulungan po tayo sa Philippine Statistics Authority para maayos po natin 'yung data finally. Napakatagal na pong issue nito, since the '70s wala po tayong datos tungkol sa informal sector, puro qualitative lang," Aldaba said.

In March, the government moved to provide a P200-billion emergency subsidy for around 18 million low-income families in the Philippines. The Senate held the hearing to sharpen its proposed economic stimulus program across all sectors affected by the pandemic. —LDF, GMA News