SIQUIJOR, Nov. 18 (PIA) -- The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has assisted 1,745 local workers from 144 establishments under its COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP) of the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act (Bayanihan 1).

DOLE has also provided emergency employment to 675 Siquijodnons under its Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Displaced /Disadvantage Workers Program-Barangay Ko, Bahay Ko (TUPAD-BKBK) Disinfecting and Sanitation Project through the Office of the Congressman and the Provincial Government of Siquijor.

At the Pulong-Pulong/Information Sharing with the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) and the Siquijor Association of Information Disseminators (SAID), DOLE-Siquijor Labor and Employment Officer Edisa Christine Samson acknowledged that since March of this year, the pandemic has affected most of the workers in industries, especially in the tourism sector in Siquijor.

She said DOLE is tasked to identify individuals who are affected by COVID-19, and the department has provided financial assistance and emergency employment in the forms of CAMP and TUPAD.

CAMP, she explained, provides a one-time cash subsidy of P5,000 each for formal sector workers while TUPAD beneficiaries were given emergency employment and paid the minimum wage prevailing in their respective areas.

With a rate of P404 per day for ten working days, Siquijor TUPAD workers will receive P4,040 each, totaling P2,727,000 for the 675 workers.

Samson said CAMP is intended for workers who are affected by the temporary closure of businesses, where 80 percent of them, mostly in San Juan, Siquijor, have shut down as a result of the border restrictions.

"There were 300 establishments that applied for CAMP but due to the limited budget in Bayanihan 1, we were not able to cater to them," she said.

She said that under the Bayanhian to Recover As One Act or Bayanihan 2, DOLE-Siquijor will prioritize those who have not yet availed of the assistance.

As its Post-Covid intervention, Samson said DOLE have provided employment to 408 individuals with a budget of P8-B for the implementation of the Bayanihan 2 projects that were scheduled to be implemented in the first week of November.

In an earlier press release, DOLE announced it would get P13-B to finance these programs to help the formal, informal employees, and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were displaced due to the pandemic.

The cash assistance, DOLE said, would be given in the form of programs such as TUPAD, emergency employment, or one-time financial aid through CAMP (Covid-19 Adjustment Measures Program) and AKAP (Abot Kamay ang Pagtulong).

Earlier, DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III said they are asking for the initial release of P8-B to be able to start extending the financial aid which would be divided to P3-B each for TUPAD and AKAP and P2-B for CAMP. (rac/PIA7-Siquijor)