THE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Western Visayas has started to accept applications for Covid-19 Adjustment Measures Program (Camp) under Republic Act 11494 or the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2).
The regional line agency, in an advisory, said it will offer financial assistance to displaced workers due to the prevailing coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic pursuant to Department Order 218-2020.
Starting March this year, the Camp is the agency's safety net that seeks to provide financial support as measure to mitigate the adverse economic impact and reduction of income among affected workers.
Due to Covid-19 pandemic, several private businesses in the country temporarily shut down during the several months of quarantine.
Mary Agnes Capigon, head of DOLE-Negros Occidental Field Office, told SunStar Bacolod that the Camp financial assistance under Bayanihan 2 was rolled out Tuesday, November 3.
Capigon said all applications will be online, with priorities to those establishments unserved during the first implementation of the program earlier this year.
Those unserved previously will need to apply through reports.dole.gov.ph, she said, adding that it will again in first come first served bases.
Based on the guidelines provided under Department Order 218-2020, the Camp shall cover displaced workers, including probationary, project, seasonal, contractual and casual employees during this pandemic.
They are affected employees of private health institution, culture and arts, creative industries but not limited to film and audiovisual workers, broadcast, construction, public transportation, trade and industries, cooperatives and other sectors of the economy as maybe identified by the department.
The program, this time, will cater to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) who applied for Camp on or before April 15, 2020 but did not receive any financial assistance under Bayanihan 1.
Other preference include other private establishments that are not categorized as MSMEs who applied for Camp on or before April 15, 2020 but did not receive any financial assistance under Bayanihan 1; MSMEs that will apply for the first time under Bayanihan 2; and other private establishments not categorized as MSMEs that apply for the first time under Bayanihan 2.
A one-time financial assistance of P5,000 shall be provided to affected workers in the private establishments regardless of employment status whether retrenched or temporarily laid-off.
Displaced workers in the tourism sector, particularly those of Department of Tourism (DOT)-accredited primary and secondary tourism enterprises, and qualified community based tourism organizations will also receive a one-time P5,000 in assistance.
For displaced workers in the education sector, meanwhile, like teaching and non-teaching personnel in private and public education institutions, will avail themselves of a cash assistance program under Camp in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd) and Commission on Higher Education (Ched).
In May this year, DOLE-Western Visayas, through Camp, reported that it has already disbursed over P100 million worth of cash assistance to at least 20,000 workers in the region including Negros Occidental.
The DOLE-Western Visayas said that these assisted workers are employees of 1,061 establishments covered as May 4, 2020.
It can be recalled that the DOLE previously stopped accepting applications for financial assistance under Camp.
The agency said "it has been swamped with volumes of requests that the available fund for the program amounting to P1.6 billion is very close to being depleted."