Dole launches 24/7 hotline for El Niño-related work concerns

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) has launched a new hotline called 15/30, as part of preparations for the El Niño phenomenon, which is expected to intensify this month until March next year.

The nationwide hotline serves as a 24/7 help desk through which workers and their employers may raise job-related concerns that also have to do with weather conditions.

But Dole has yet to set a time frame for addressing complaints, with Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino describing the process as “a work in progress.”

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The hotline is staffed by department personnel, including agents assigned to the graveyard shift. As of its initial launch on Tuesday, 20 agents were manning the hotline.

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Reachable by landline

Tolentino urged the public to refrain from making prank calls, warning that these could disrupt any urgent assistance.

“We are also asking that there be no prank calls because the line may be disturbed,” he said.

READ: DOLE to issue labor advisories on workplace safety as El Niño looms

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He encouraged workers to use the hotline to report workplace concerns, including inadequate ventilation, lack of drinking water and employers’ failure to comply with the department’s labor advisories on El Niño.

“Those that are really serious, especially in the workplace, lack of ventilation, no water, not following our labor advisory about El Niño, and some violations of employers,” he said.

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The public can reach the hotline by dialing 1530 at any time of the day. However, the service is currently accessible only through landlines and cannot be reached through mobile phones.

The hotline’s name is derived from the country’s traditional payday schedule, when workers typically receive their salaries on the 15th and 30th of each month.

Earlier, Dole issued guidelines requiring delivery platforms to implement safety measures as heat levels rise, including limiting or suspending deliveries under dangerous conditions. The guidelines outline precautionary measures for four heat-index levels.

The Employees’ Compensation Commission also added five heat-related conditions that may qualify workers for benefits under the Employees’ Compensation Program, including fainting, heat rash and kidney injury.

Tesda partnership

In addition, Dole is working with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) to establish a referral mechanism that would allow the department to handle inquiries received through the new hotline.

This was after Tesda Director General Kiko Benitez said they commonly receive questions through their social media page about how and where people can avail themselves of the agency’s skills training programs.

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“Now that Dole has a hotline, we are going to establish a referral mechanism so that any inquiries received through the Dole hotline can be properly referred to Tesda,” Benitez said. /cb