THE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Wednesday announced the extension of the period of implementation of its assistance for workers affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
This after the House of Representatives and the Senate approved the proposed bill the day before extending the effectivity of the funding from the Bayanihan to Recover As One (Bayanihan 2) beyond December 19, 2020, the initial date of expiration of the said legislation.
In an online briefing, Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III welcomed the development, which he said will give them more time to complete their programs funded by Bayanihan 2.
Bello said they were allocated a total of P16.4 billion to help Covid-affected workers.
Of the said amount, P4.1 billion is for the beneficiaries of their regular Covid Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP), which provides a one-time P5,000 cash aid for workers in the formal sector.
A P3.1-billion budget was allocated for the CAMP benefits of workers in the tourism sector, and another P300 million for the CAMP coverage for employees in the education sector.
Bello said a sizeable portion or P6.2 billion of their Bayanihan 2 allocation was meant for the emergency employment of informal sector workers under their Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program.
Pandemic-stricken overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) will also be given a one-time P10,000 financial assistance from Abot Kamay Ang Pagtulong for OFWs (Akap) program, which has an allocation of P2 billion from Bayanihan 2.
Labor Assistant Secretary Dominique R. Tutay noted they have almost completed the disbursement of the funds for their regular CAMP as well as CAMP for the education sector, which have a completion rate of 88.7 percent and 72 percent, respectively, as of December 15, 2020.
She also said TUPAD implementation has made a significant headway with a completion rate of 64.61 percent.
The programs, which may still take time to complete, are the AKAP, which has a completion rate of 44.59 percent, and CAMP for the tourism sector, which has a measly 8-percent completion rate.
