DOLE offices stay open during Holy Week for workers' cash aid

MANILA- The Department of Labor and Employment will remain open for the rest of Holy Week to process applications for financial assistance of workers who have reduced or no income due to the coronavirus pandemic, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said.

Field offices of the labor department will continue processing reports this Holy Week to expedite the release of the one-time P5,000 cash aid for workers.

"Bukas po ang ating mga DOLE offices kahit Holy Week para ma-proseso ang mga CAMP (COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program) applications po ninyo," Nograles said.

(Our DOLE offices will remain open even this Holy Week to process CAMP applications.)

As announced by Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, the labor department is also no longer "strictly requiring" employers to submit a company payroll for the cash aid of their workers.

"Any proof of payment of salaries and wages will be sufficient compliance with the requirement," Nograles said, in reference to the new guideline.

The government's pandemic response inter-agency task force also approved a P5 billion supplemental budget for the labor department for its social amelioration program for formal sector workers, such as overseas Filipino workers and local workers with reduced or no income.

• DOLE gets P5-billion budget boost for workers' cash aid

A total of 139, 003 workers have benefited from the cash aid program of DOLE as of Wednesday, Nograles said.