The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is seeking the approval of the P24 billion worth of subsidy, which it said, wood benefit more than one million workers who were affected by the series of oil price hikes.
DOLE Assistant Secretary Dominique Tutay said the proposed wage subsidy will benefit workers from the private sector for three months, from April to June.
“The DOLE recognizes the labor sector’s clamor for a minimum wage increase due to unabated fuel price increases primarily triggered by the Russia-Ukraine turmoil,” Tutay said during President Duterte’s “Talk to the People” aired on Wednesday, March 16.
She added that the wage subsidy supports the National Employment Recovery Strategy (NERS 2021-2022) under Executive Order No. 140, Series of 2021. It will focus on “enabling domestic enterprises to bounce back and bring local jobs to workers” and may be extended to vulnerable workers severely affected by fuel price hikes.
During the proposed three-month wage subsidy, Tutay said newly reopened enterprises, particularly the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), will have a period of recovery and growth.
On the other hand, the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards (RTWPBs) will assess the region’s socio-economic conditions and commence the procedural requirements for consultations within the said period.
“At this time po and given the indirect impact of the global tension to the Philippine economy nakikita po namin na ang subsidiya ay importante pa rin sa ating manggagawa (At this time, given the indirect impact of the global tension on the Philippine economy, we think that the wage subsidy is vital for our workers). So we are humbly requesting the approval of the proposal of the DOLE,” Tutay told Duterte.