How about an unemployment insurance program for the benefit for Filipinos who lost their jobs?

That's what UniTeam senatorial candidate Jinggoy Estrada plans to create via legislation if and when he wins in the upcoming May 9 polls.

He specifically said that he would push for an unemployment insurance program to help thousands of Filipinos retrenched from work because of the pandemic, economic crises or natural calamities.

“Laid off workers need all the help they can get and insurance can offer relief for the sudden loss of income,” said the former senator, who noted that many businesses closed shop amid the Covid-19 pandemic. He said most of these businesses will never reopen.

Estrada said he will propose that government subsidize workers who were retrenched due to the crisis.

“Employees pay contributions to the Social Security System (SSS), Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Authority (OWWA) for their retirement but they can also approach these institutions during crisis and calamities. However, the assistance they provide are often in the form or loans or cash advances. My plan is to help augment that,” he explained.

Estrada said many countries around the world provide unemployment insurance to their citizens for at least six months until they can find work.

“The main issue here, of course, is funding. If reelected to the Senate, I will help craft a law that will set aside a counterpart fund to match the minimal contributions that employees will pay as insurance premiums,” he said.

Running under the UniTeam alliance, Estrada is a champion of workers’ rights, having served as chairman of the Senate Committee on Labor and Employment for two consecutive terms.