1 Apr 2020 – DOLE bent on providing assistance to as many workers in the formal economy as we give to informal sector workers.

But it has come to our attention that there are not a few establishments that refuse to submit their report along with the payroll to the detriment of their workers.

I therefore appeal again to companies that, for the sake of your employees and workers, submit your reports so that we may be able to extend them their most needed assistance under the COVID 19 Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP).

As of March 31, our field monitoring already recorded more than 630,000 workers displaced either by reason of temporary closure or flexible work arrangements as reported by 15,213 establishments. Of these figures,169,232 belong to the informal sector.

We have so far distributed P160 million and we are accelerating the release of assistance to all those affected.

To emphasize, the cash aid available is different from the allocation of between P5,000 to P8,000 in subsidy that the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and other agencies are providing under the Bayanihan to Heal As One law.

While the new law provides a cash and non-cash Emergency Subsidy Program (ESP) for two months based on the prevailing regional wage rates, DOLE’s CAMP is a one-time quarantine assistance.

The ESP targets families with at least one member belonging to vulnerable and disadvantaged sectors such as Senior Citizens, Persons with Disability, Pregnant and Lactating Women, Solo Parents, Overseas Filipinos in Distress, Indigent Indigenous Peoples, Underprivileged Sector and Homeless Citizens, and Informal Economy Workers.

Among these programs are DSWD’s food and non-food items, cash assistance to individuals in crisis, and livelihood assistance grants; DA’s cash assistance to rice farmers; and other programs of DTI.

Pursuant to this subsidy program, DOLE also administers the TUPAD #BKBK which provides the equivalent of daily minimum wage for 10 days of work for the informal sector workers. ###

Statement
Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III
April 1, 2020