To aid formal sector workers affected by the pandemic, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has realigned P1.5 billion from their 2020 budget. This amount will be used to provide a one-time cash assistance of P5,000 to workers whose applications for the COVID-19 Adjustment Measure Program (CAMP) have already been processed.

CAMP is a safety net program that offers one-time financial support for employees of companies who have adopted flexible work arrangements or have temporarily closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As of writing, the department has provided cash assistance to 407,300 workers.

“With internally sourced funds, DOLE will now be able to assist a total of about 650,000 workers with P3.24 billion in total CAMP assistance,” the department notes in their statement. This leaves 1,000,000 workers unserved by the financial assistance program.

As of writing, 87,301 establishments have reported that over 1.6 million workers have been affected by temporary closures. 797,729 workers, meanwhile, are on alternative work arrangements due to the implementation of the quarantine.

Header photo from Inquirer.net

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