Relief funds for displaced workers sought

MANILA, Philippines — Legislators have called on the government to provide financial assistance to workers to be affected by the metrowide community quarantine and those working in industries heavily hit by the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) scare.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan sought relief assistance particularly for daily wage earners, such as construction workers, jeepney, motorcycle and pedicab drivers, sidewalk vendors and the like who stand to be affected by the community quarantine 00

“Even without the lockdown, they were the ones who do not always get adequate and nutritious food. If they don’t go to work, they don’t earn anything,” Pangilinan said in a statement.

Pangilinan noted that during calamities, relief assistance are given to affected people.“We should do this now because this is a big calamity. The spread of COVID-19 is a public emergency,” he said.

Help ordinary wage earners

Sen. Imee Marcos also called on the administration to release standby funds to help ordinary wage earners in industries most affected by the COVID-19 scare.

These funds could be used to augment the P140-million emergency funds of the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole), which she said were inadequate.

According to her, only 7,000 workers will benefit from Dole’s emergency funds if each will receive P20,000 in aid.

But more than twice the number of workers face layoffs in the garment exports sector alone, she pointed out.

She said the Philippine garment export industry directly employed about 300,000 workers, and some of these companies were already implementing “temporary forced leaves” on 5 to 10 percent of their workforce due to an unreliable supply of materials caused by the manufacturing slowdown in China.

Marcos also urged the Department of Tourism (DOT) to rethink its strategy of promoting domestic tourism to help those in the sector whose livelihoods are threatened.

The DOT should instead redirect funds allotted for marketing abroad to cushion retrenchment and loss of income, she added.

Uncertainty

Quezon City Rep. Precious Castelo expressed concern over the uncertainty that would haunt Metro Manila workers, in the event they will be barred from going to work due to quarantine protocols.

“They don’t receive pay if they don’t work. What will happen to them in the event their community is quarantined?” asked Castelo, vice chair of the House committee on Metro Manila development.

“Our employees in the private sector are anxious about what will happen to them in case there are at least two coronavirus disease or Covid-19 cases in their barangay and their entire community is placed on lockdown; they will be restricted to their homes and will not be allowed to go to work,” she said.

Economic packages

According to Castelo, the employers could pay workers their daily wage for a certain number of days during the lockdown, while the government, through the Dole and other agencies, could take care of the rest to tide the employees over.

Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman urged the government to consider extending economic packages and assistance to affected workers and micro, small and medium enterprises.