P5K CASH ASSISTANCE & TEMPORARY JOBS FOR AFFECTED WORKERS TO START TODAY
MARCH 20, 2020
Key Points:
- Workers affected by the enhanced community quarantine can avail of the one-time financial assistance of P5,000
- Beneficiaries of the cash assistance will be based on the payroll list submitted to DOLE by employers
- Temporary jobs in sanitation and disinfection will be available through the TUPAD program for those also affected by the quarantine
- These programs are set to start this Friday, according to Labor Secretary Belo
Numerous workers have been unable to work due to the enhanced community quarantine currently taking place because of COVID-19. To help mitigate adverse impacts brought by this outbreak, the Department of Labor and Employment will roll out two programs – CAMP (COVID Adjustment Measures Program) and TUPAD (Tulong Pangkabuhayan sa Displaced/Underprivileged Workers).
P5,000 cash assistance to affected workers
According to the Department Order No. 209, CAMP is a “safety net program that offers financial support to affected workers in the private establishments that have adopted FWAs or temporary closure during the COVID-19 pandemic.” It is aimed to benefit about 250,000 workers.
It includes workers in private establishments affected by the outbreak from January 2020 until the lifting of the Stringent Social Distancing Measures in NCR on April 14, 2020 (unless extended by the IATF). CAMP, however, excludes government employees.
Assistance from the program includes the following:
- One-time financial assistance equivalent to PHP 5,000 in lump sum, non-conditional, and regardless of employment status (Article III, Section 1)
- Access to available job opportunities suitable to their qualifications through job matching, referral, and placement services for local and/or overseas employment, employment coaching, and labor market information (Article III, Section 2)
In an interview with Super Radyo dzBB, Labor Secretary Silvestre Belo III mentioned that those who can avail of the P5,000 one-time assistance will be based on the payroll list submitted to DOLE by employers and that releasing of cash assistance will begin today.
Temporary jobs during enhanced community quarantine
TUPAD, on the other hand, is geared to providing temporary employment to those affected by the enhanced community quarantine as stated on the Department Order No. 210 released by DOLE. It is a community-based (municipality/barangay) package of assistance for displaced workers, underemployed, and self-employed workers.
Under TUPAD, these affected workers will disinfect and sanitize their homes as well as the immediate vicinity of their homes for the duration of no more than 10 days.
The package of services to the TUPAD beneficiaries include:
- Payment of wages equivalent to 100% of the current highest minimum wage in the region
- Enrollment to group micro-insurance
- Conduct of Basic Orientation on Safety and Health through the dissemination of brochures
DOLE regional offices are advised to provide cleaning and sanitation solutions and to ensure that workers regularly and thoroughly wash their hands with soap and water or alcohol-based sanitizers. Implementation of TUPAD is expected to start today, as stated by DOLE-National Capital Region Director Sarah Buena Mirasol during a press briefing.
MARCH 20, 2020