WITH over 2.5 million Filipino workers already affected by the novel coronavirus disease (Covid) pandemic, another program of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is now facing a fund shortage.
In a statement, the agency finally admitted it has insufficient funds to accommodate all of the 230,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFW) applying for its Abot Kamay ang Pagtulong (AKAP) program, and is now eyeing to request for a supplemental budget to address this.
Of the applications, 118,134 were received by the 40 Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLO), while the remaining 114,881 were processed by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and DOLE regional offices.
The one-time US$200 (or P10,000) AKAP cash-aid program for overseas Filipino workers (OFW) only has a target beneficiary of 150,000 for its its P1.5-billion budget.
As of Sunday, 49,040 of the total AKAP applicants have already been given the benefit, which leaves the program just enough funds to benefit only about 100,000 OFWs.
Last week, several POLOs suspended acceptance of AKAP applications due to the sheer number of OFWs who wanted to avail themselves of the program.
However, the POLOs were ordered by the DOLE main office to resume the process since at that time only 18,000 had qualified for the program.
Beyond expectations
Aside from AKAP, another DOLE program overwhelmed by the number of applications was its Covid Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP), which provides a one-time P5,000 cash assistance for formal sector workers affected by the pandemic illness.
DOLE was forced to suspend accepting new CAMP applications on April 15, 2020 after exhausting its P1.7-billion CAMP budget to help 345,865 beneficiaries.
Currently, 90 percent of the 2 million local workers temporarily displaced or placed under flexible work arrangement because of Covid-19, are applying for CAMP.
Initially, the government anticipated that only between 1.2 million amd 1.8 million workers will be affected by Covid-related business disruptions.
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has realigned P1.6 billion of DOLE’s regular 2020 budget to be used for CAMP. It is expected to accommodate around 300,000 of the 2 million CAMP applicants once disbursed.
The rest, labor officials said, will be endorsed to the Department of Finance’s (DOF) Small Business Wage Subsidy Program, which is expected to benefit 3.4 million workers nationwide.
DOLE was also able to help 259,449 informal sector workers through its emergency employment measure Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers Barangay Ko, Bahay Ko (TUPAD #BKBK) program, which has a budget allocation of P1.14 billion.
Image credits: PHOTO FROM DFA-OUMWA