DOLE to give cash aid to 350,000 workers affected by ECQ by April 14

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is aiming to give cash assistance to about 350,000 formal and informal workers who were not able to go to work due to the enhanced community quarantine by April 14.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III on Monday said the agency is still processing the application of the 115,000 formal workers who will be paid by P575 million and the applications of  235,000 informal workers who will be paid P963 million.

“Kumpleto na ang listahan natin ng beneficiaries, as far as ‘yung mga nag-apply are concerned. Pero we are expecting na mayroong 1.8 million workers na maapektuhan [nitong COVID-19],” he said during a Laging Handa press briefing.

(We have completed the list of beneficiaries. But we are expecting that there are about 1.8 million workers who are affected by the COVID-19 crisis.)

“Kaya we need exigency and ask for additional target allotment from the national government,” he added.

(We need to ask for additional target allotment from the national government.)

Workers who were affected by the quarantine is entitled to P5,000 cash aid from the DOLE under the COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP) for formal workers and the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Displaced/Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD)-Barangay Ko Bahay Ko (BKBK) program for informal workers.

As of Sunday, the DOLE has approved the application for assistance of 102,885 formal workers and has disbursed about P541 million for the program, Bello said.

The applications of 72,703 informal workers were likewise approved, and the DOLE has disbursed about P170 million, he added.

The DOLE earlier recorded over 630,000 workers displaced by the quarantine either by the temporary closure of establishments or because of flexible work arrangements as of March 31.

READ: DOLE: 630,000 workers displaced by Luzon-wide community quarantine

Should the enhanced community quarantine be extended, Bello said DOLE will recommend to the national government the extension of the cash assistance program or CAMP.

“Kapag nagkaroon ng extension ang enhanced quarantine, we will recommend the extension of cash assistance for displaced workers to the Inter-Agency Task Force,” he said.

(If the enhanced quarantine is extended, we will recommend to the IATF the extension of cash assistance for displaced workers.)