Around P5.5 billion has already been disbursed by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to help over a million workers through the department’s novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) programs.
The budget, however, remains insufficient to provide assistance to the over 2 million applicants of the said assistance programs.
In a news statement, DOLE said the bulk, or P3.093 billion of the amount, was used to give a one-time P5,000 cash aid to 618,722 formal sector workers from 31,972 micro, small and medium enterprises under its Covid-19 Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP).
“An additional 35,723 workers are expected to benefit from the cash aid as the CAMP program wraps up its operations this week,” DOLE said in a statement.
Over 1.6 million workers applied for CAMP.
For its Abot Kamay ang Pagtulong (AKAP) program, DOLE said it was already able to release P1.05 billion of its P1.5 billion budget for the said initiative.
The fund was used to provide a one-time P10,000 cash aid to 103,467 OFWs, who are qualified beneficiaries of AKAP.
“The department would need additional P2 billion in emergency funds to be able to service a significant portion of the 368,703 OFWs who had sought the cash aid as of May 5 [via AKAP],” DOLE said.
The remaining P1.348 billion of the spent fund of DOLE for its Covid measure was used for its Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers, Barangay Ko Bahay Ko (TUPAD #BKBK), which provided emergency employment to 337,198 workers in the informal sector workers.
Too few
Labor coalition Nagkaisa lauded DOLE for helping a million workers, but it noted it was just a fraction of those who were affected by business interruptions caused by the Covid-19 crisis.
Citing data from the Ateneo Center for Economic Research and Development (ACERD), Nagkaisa said there were 25 million workers, who were affected by Covid-19.
“We still assert that all affected workers should be provided income guarantees equivalent to the prevailing minimum wage, or P10,000, whichever is higher. This would help ensure that millions of workers will be able to somehow cope with the financial burdens that they incurred during the lockdown,” Nagkaisa Chairman and Federation of Free Workers President Sonny Matula said in a news statement.
Nagkaisa also appealed to lawmakers to subsidize, if not condone, all rent and utility costs of all workers affected by the enhanced community quarantine.
Image credits: Nonie Reyes