Over 2 million workers affected by the Covid-19 pandemic received their assistance from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) as agency nears the completion of its cash aid programs under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2).
Of the said recipients, 1,025,547 were from the formal sector, who got a one-time P5,000 cash aid under the “regular” Covid Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP).
It also includes the 118,416 overseas Filipino workers (OFW), who got a one-time P10,000, or $200 financial assistance through the Abot Kamay Ang Pagtulong for OFWs (AKAP).
The remaining 936,865 beneficiaries were given temporary emergency employment by the government through the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD).
DOLE had disbursed P1.19 billion for AKAP, P5.2 billion for its regular CAMP, and P5.18 billion for TUPAD.
On track
With the latest accomplishment report, Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III said they expect to complete the implementation of the said programs on June before the expiration of the Bayanihan 2.
“We are very much on track [in the disbursement of the Bayanihan 2 funds]. We are almost through with TUPAD and CAMP and we are accelerating payouts of AKAP,” Bello said via SMS.
In a Viber message, on the other hand, Labor Assistant Secretary Dominique R. Tutay told the BusinessMirror they are now 99 percent complete in the implementation of the “regular” CAMP after they successfully disbursed P5.2 billion of its budget.
Last month, she said, they already had completed the disbursement of CAMP benefits for workers in the education sector, which benefited over 150,000 teachers.
The labor official said they are now coordinating with the Department of Tourism (DOT) to disburse the funds for the CAMP benefits of those employed in tourism establishments.
“We are currently 33 percent to 36 percent [complete in utilizing the fund for CAMP tourism],” Tutay said.
Likewise, Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns (BWSC) Director Ma. Karina Perida-Trayvilla said they are wrapping up the implementation of TUPAD for Covid-affected workers.
“Out of the allocation of P5.6 billion as of 29 December, 2021, DOLE Regional/Provincial/Field Offices were able to disburse P5.2 billion or almost 93 percent,” Trayvilla told the BusinessMirror in text message.
Passage considerations
Labor officials issued the statements after Malacañang said the utilization of concerned agencies of its Bayanihan 2 will be among the considerations of Congress, together with finding the necessary fund source, for the passage of the P420-billion Bayanihan 3.
DOLE has an allocated P16.4-billion budget under Bayanihan 2.
Of the amount, P4.1 billion was allotted under CAMP for formal sector workers, P300 million under CAMP for private educational institution workers, and P3.1 billion under CAMP for tourism sector workers; P6.2 billion for TUPAD for informal sector workers; P239 million for the DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program or DOLE Kabuhayan Program; P2 billion for AKAP; and P500 million for Emergency Repatriation Program of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
DOLE is supporting the passage of the Bayanihan 3, which will contain additional funding for programs to help Covid-hit workers and employers through wage subsidy scheme.
The wage subsidy scheme was supposed to be included in the National Employment Recovery Strategy (NERS) for Covid-19, but was scrapped since it got no budget allocation in the 2022 General Appropriations Act.