The Department of Labor and Employment in Western Visayas (DOLE-6) said 14,800 employees covered by 625 establishments in the region can avail of PHP5,000 financial support under the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP).
Niezel Anen Sabrido, senior labor and employment officer of DOLE-6, said in a phone interview, that the labor department targets to start releasing the aid to around 1,000 employees on Friday.
CAMP is a safety net program that covers affected employees of private establishments that have adopted flexible working arrangements or temporary closure during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“It’s the responsibility of the employer to apply for their employees to benefit in this program,” she said.
The region has PHP62-million allotted for CAMP. The program is open to private establishments and prioritizes micro, small, and medium enterprises, she said.
Although the department has not set a deadline for application, Sabrido said employers are urged to immediately comply with the requirements since the fund is limited.
Documentary requirements include the establishment report on Covid-19, which the template can be accessed at DOLE 6 website; the list of affected workers with their respective phone numbers; and the payroll for the month before the implementation of flexible working arrangements or temporary closure.
The DOLE-6 has earlier asked employers, who implemented flexible working arrangements and temporary closure, to submit an establishment report on Covid-19.
Those who have completed the establishment report were already part of the database of the DOLE-6. “We called them up and asked for their company payroll. They are already considered as an applicant under CAMP,” she said.
The one-time financial assistance will be given to the employees through their LandBank account.
“That is why we ask our employers to include the phone number of employees in the list so that if they have no Land Bank account, we can send (the assistance) through money remittance,” she said.
The employers who will not apply for CAMP will not be penalized but will be subject to an inspection of DOLE after the Covid-19 crisis is over, Sabrido said, citing DOLE-6 regional director Cyril Ticao.
Meanwhile, those in the informal sector or does not have the employer-employee relationship can avail of other programs of the DOLE like the Tupad Barangay Ko, Bahay Ko (BKBK).
Qualified applicants for the Tupad BKBK are the underemployed, self-employed workers and workers affected by the enhanced community quarantine.
“We will give emergency employment for a maximum period of 10 days and they will be earning PHP395 each day for a 10-day period,” she said.
The local government unit has the responsibility to identify and profile those who are eligible for the program.
“We have received e-mails from interested LGUs for the BKBK but we do not have yet the total number of applicants,” she said.
The primary work of those who will apply for the BKBK is to disinfect their homes or villages as a measure to prevent the spread of Covid-19. (PNA)
