Workers in 7 regions won’t get wage subsidy

MANILA, Philippines — Employees of small businesses operating in seven regions of the country won’t receive the second tranche of the government’s small business wage subsidy (SBWS).

To be affected are workers of small businesses in Mimaropa, Bicol, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga, Soccsksargen, Cordillera Administrative Region and the Bangsamoro Administrative Region who earlier benefited from the Department of Labor and Employment’s COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program (Camp).

“The Camp beneficiaries … will not be eligible for the second tranche of SBWS since the SBWS is equal to the Camp subsidy of P5,000,” President Duterte said in his 11th report to Congress.

The SBWS guidelines state that Camp beneficiaries will also receive subsidy during the second tranche of the SBWS, minus the P5,000 already received under the Camp.

The Department of Finance said 193,000 out of 680,000 Camp beneficiaries have received the first tranche of the SBWS.

“These beneficiaries will either receive the differential amount of the SBWS and Camp, or will not receive any SBWS at all for the second tranche,” the President said.

As of June 4, the Social Security System had released P22.5 billion to 2.99 million employees for the first tranche, and P6.65 billion to 1.01 million employees for the second tranche.

The SBWS aims to provide P51 billion subsidy in two tranches to 3.4 million workers of small businesses, with the cash aid ranging from P5,000 to P8,000.

The wage subsidies were supposed to be paid out in two tranches last May. INQ