A one-time free Covid-19 test is accessible for newly-hired workers who need to submit a negative RT-PCT test result as their pre-employment requirement, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) announced on Friday, April 8.
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said that the agency had allotted P100 million for the free Covid-19 test program.
“The Department has allocated P100 million for this program. Through this, we intend to ease the burden of additional COVID-19 costs among newly-hired job seekers in the private sector, agency-hired overseas workers set for deployment, and even newly-appointed employees in any branch or instrumentality of the government,” Bello said in a statement.
He added that the one-time assistance is under Department Order 232, Series 2022, which will cover job seekers hired last Feb 1.
To benefit from this aid, Bello said that newly-hired job seekers should submit a photocopy of a valid government-issued ID; an accomplished subsidy application form; certificate of engagement, acceptance, or appointment signed by the employer, general manager, or human resource manager for workers hired in private domestic establishments and by recruitment agencies or head of the agency those employed in any government branch to a DOLE field office.
Upon submitting requirements, the concerned agency field office will assess the application within three working days and pre-evaluate applications to the concerned regional office, which will notify the applicant within five working days if the application is approved.
Newly-hired workers will receive the agency’s approval through electronic mail or message and the information they need to present to the testing center, such as reference number and date, time, and place of testing.