AS many as 200,000 formal sector workers may receive a one-time cash assistance of P5,000 from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) if they have been displaced due to the reimposition of the Alert Level 3 in Metro Manila and other areas.
In an online press briefing, Labor Assistant Secretary Dominique Tutay said the DOLE has allocated P1 billion to finance a new round of the COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP).
“We will be providing a one-time P5,000 financial assistance to workers that have been affected by the Alert Level 3 or higher alert levels,” said Tutay.
“Close to 200,000 formal sector workers may be reached by our P1 billion budget for CAMP 2022,” Tutay added.
Tutay said the program will prioritize workers who were permanently displaced by the stricter protocols, including those retrenched and those whose employers have permanently closed their businesses.
She said they will also provide assistance to those who experienced temporary displacement or those who faced temporary closure of workplaces.
“We will first prioritize those workers affected by the permanent closure or retrenchment,” she said. “We will also provide financial aid to the workers facing temporary closures.”
Data from the DOLE showed a total of 11,586 workers who have been permanently displaced nationwide from 759 establishments from January 1 to 15, 2022. Of the total, 10,171 workers from 687 establishments were retrenched.
