DOLE stops accepting cash aid applications from formal sector as DOF rolls out wage subsidy

The Department of Labor and Employment will stop accepting employers' applications for the P5,000 cash assistance to formal workers under the COVID-19 Adjustment Measure Program (CAMP) starting Thursday, according to its official.

In an interview on GMA News' Unang Balita, Labor Assistant Secretary Dominique Tutay said this is to give way to the P51-billion wage subsidy program being rolled out by the Department of Finance (DOF) for the middle-income workers.

"Kahapon po officially sinabihan na po natin ang ating mga regional offices na ihinto na po 'yung pagtanggap mula ngayon ng CAMP applications dahil may pumapasok pong programa ang DOF at ang target nga po ng DOF ay 'yung mga tinatawag nating middle income o class na mga kababayan natin," Tutay said.

Tutay said that DOLE targets to benefit over 321,000 formal workers through the CAMP. It has already released P5,000 cash aid to more than 236,000. The program has a P1.6 billion budget.

Supplemental budget is still being requested to benefit 500,000 more workers in the formal sector, Tutay said.

In general, the middle class can be classified as those who receive monthly salaries ranging from P18,200 to  P109,200, according to Tutay.

Earlier this week, President Rodrigo Duterte approved a wage subsidy program for middle class workers affected by the COVID-19 crisis.

It targets to help some 1.6 million small businesses and their 3.4 million employees affected by the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon and other areas of the country.

Eligible workers will be given a cash aid of P5,000 to P8,000 to be computed based on the minimum daily wage rates in their respective regions.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said that the subsidy will be given in two tranches in May. — Dona Magsino/RSJ, GMA News