Tacloban City (February 6) -- As part of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's thrusts in poverty alleviation, the Department of Labor and Employment is launching on February 6 at the Occupational Safety and Health Center, the Workers Income Augmentation Program (WINAP) aimed at enhancing the income-earning power of workers in the formal economy.

In fact DOLE 8 Regional Director Forter Puguon is now in Manila in order to attend the launching, ARD Cyril Ticao informed PIA. This program will be implemented in all the Regions of the country, to include Eastern Visayas, he added.

The Program which is dubbed as "Dagdag-Kabuhayan para sa mga Manggagawa" will assist minimum waged earners and other low income workers, organized or unorganized, in private establishments, to set up livelihood undertakings or engage into business that would provide them additional sources of income and employment for their family members, without necessarily leaving their current jobs.

The program is also open to the low-income Overseas Filipino Workers who are affected by the peso hike.

The beneficiaries will be assisted to form a project management team which will direct and supervise the daily operation of the business while they are in their respective jobs. They may employ their kin in their business operations to maximize program benefits.

In order to avail of the Program, the unions or organizations where the workers belong must be duly accredited with the DOLE. If the workers are unorganized, they will be assisted through the DOLE accredited co-partners.

The Program would provide service through the unions and ACPs in order to develop the capacity of the workers to collectively start and manage a business or livelihood undertaking.