Over 2M workers, displaced OFWs get P12-B cash aid

MANILA – The government has so far provided PHP12 billion cash assistance to over two million workers in the country, including displaced overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reported on Thursday.

Based on the latest data from the agency, some PHP11.9 billion have been released to a total of 2,080,855 beneficiaries.

The government has provided financial and employment assistance through the Covid-19 Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP), Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) Program, and Abot Kamay ang Pagtulong (AKAP).

Under CAMP, the DOLE reported that a total of 1,025,574 workers from the formal sector have been assisted with cash amounting to over PHP5.2 billion.

The program is a one-time PHP5,000 financial aid provided to affected workers in private establishments.

For AKAP, it served a total of 118,416 displaced OFWs in the amount of PHP1.191 billion

The beneficiaries, land-based and sea-based workers were given a one-time cash assistance of USD200 (PHP10,000).

Meanwhile, the DOLE has so far disbursed a total of PHP5,182,680,502 under the TUPAD program to 918,191 informal sector workers.

The total budget allocation for the program is PHP5,619,735,038.

It added that there are 18,674 beneficiaries with work, with a budget of PHP7,070,189.

The target beneficiaries for the program are 974,140.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said providing assistance under TUPAD and CAMP will soon be over.

“Very much on track, we are almost through with TUPAD and CAMP and we are accelerating payouts of AKAP,” he said in a text message.