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MANILA — At least 426 workers in the formal sector have lost their jobs in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) following the closure of establishments destroyed or that can no longer operate after the magnitude 7 quake in Abra, the labor department said on Thursday.

Nathaniel Lacambra, director of the Department of Labor and Employment in CAR, said the figure could be higher as they have yet to determine the number of fisherfolk, farmers, and other workers affected by the powerful tremor.

Lacambra said his agency allotted P50 million to mobilize the emergency employment program TUPAD for the affected workers.

Twenty-one establishments remained closed in the region.

"Sabi ko, i-focus muna natin itong P25 million doon sa Abra dahil sila ang hardest hit," Lacambra said in a televised briefing.

"Kung susumahin, ang requirement lang na gagawin ng ating mga kababayan ay mag-submit ng kanilang ID, ma-establish ang kanilang identification, personality and residence, at lahat na ay gagawin ng ating mga local government units at ipapasa sa atin for actual program implementation," he added.

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The next tranche of funds will be given to other provinces also hit by the quake, which includes Mountain Province, he said. Work in some areas of the region has been disrupted due to impassable roads.

The DOLE, he added, has also prepositioned around P5 million for livelihood opportunities for affected workers in Abra.

Up to 571 individuals, meanwhile, are currently using the agency's Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES).

Museums and tourist sites in Northern Luzon have been ordered closed due to the quake due to the damage sustained.

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— Job Manahan, ABS-CBN News