LEGAZPI CITY: Some 600 workers at the Public Works and Highways in Bicol province are certainly facing a bleak Christmas after they were laid off from their jobs.

The 16 Bicol district engineering offices, including its regional office, implemented the layoffs since August 30 pursuant to Department Order 55 issued last year to take effect upon the completion of the government rationalization program. Affected workers were contractuals, job orders and emergency hired.

District engineers claimed that they did not want to obey the lay-off order affected employees were being paid from savings in projects. They said that under the new order, savings could no longer be used for employees’ salaries.

District engineers said, however, that they have discretion to recall some laid off employees on a case-to-case basis.

Amy Arimado of the Albay First District Engineering said that she has been with the DPWH for 26 years as a job order employee and was among the unlucky laid off workers who won’t get any benefits, not even a single centavo. She said that with her kids on schooling, the only weapon left for her is to pray and beg for her recall.

One district engineer who declined to be identified assailed the lay-off order at a time when people need their jobs and Christmas is near. Considering that savings is an effort of the head of office concerned, its disposal should be left to their discretion for the benefit of employment. He added that the government is even giving dole outs to the poor.