The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) plans to provide financial aid or “ayuda” to the workers affected by the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) and modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in August.
In the Laging Handa public briefing on Monday (Aug. 2), DOLE Undersecretary Benjo Santos Benavidez said the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has discussed the giving of aid to the workers who will be unemployed due to the oncoming stricter lockdown on Aug. 6.
“Napag-usapan po namin na maghanap ng available funding kung mayroon po sa ating GAA [General Appropriations Act], para naman po matulungan natin ang mga maapektuhan nating manggagawa [sa ECQ],” he said.
Benavidez added that the department is currently looking for funding for the distribution of the financial aid. He said they are currently looking into where the funds will come from.
“Ang utos po ng ating Kalihim [Labor Sec. Silvestre Bello III], kung maalala po natin, noong mga nakaraang ECQ at MECQ ay nagpatupad po kami ng mga tulong-pinansiyal. Napag-usapan na po namin ito na hanapan ng pondo para nang sa ganoon, iyong maapektuhan pong mga manggagawa ay may asahan o may makuhang tulong po sa ating kagawaran.
“Pero ito po ay inaaral pa po namin kung saan po namin huhugutin ang pondo, kung dito po sa aming present GAA o kailangan pong mag-request po kami sa DBM [Department of Budget and Management],” he explained.
Report from Louisa Erispe/NGS- jlo
