Sen. Joel Villanueva. File photo / screen grab from Senate PRIB
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Joel Villanueva on Tuesday said the government can tap into the nearly P50-billion funding intended to aid micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act to subsidize the 13th month bonus of workers in cash-strapped businesses.
Villanueva, chair of the Senate labor committee, said he believes the government has enough funds to help pandemic-hit micro and small enterprises in giving their employees their 13th month pay.
“We have to look at this particular issue very carefully. As I told the Department of Labor and Employment, [they should] not to play with fire when you talk about 13th month pay because by law, our workers must receive their 13th month pay on or before December 24,” he said in an interview over ABS-CBN News Channel.
“We must also understand that and we must not forget that our MSMEs are one of the hardest-hit sectors by the pandemic,” he added.
According to Villanueva, the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act, dubbed as Bayanihan 2, provides for a P39.47-billion allocation for government financial institutions to help enterprises.
Further, he said the law also earmarked P10 billion for small business corporations.
“They can tap that for the 13th-month pay,” Villanueva said.
Earlier, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reminded employers to pay their workers’ 13th month bonus.
DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III said he would recommend to the government subsidizing badly hit businesses, which could cost over P13 billion.