By Leslie Ann Aquino Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said his office will publish the list of establishments that have already received cash assistance from the government amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III
(ROBINSON NIÑAL JR./ PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO) He said they are also listing down the names of employers who have already submitted the requirements for their employees to receive the P5,000 cash assistance. The labor chief assured workers that the department is doing its best to assist them at this time. “We know that they need it, that’s why we are doing everything we can in order for them to receive it at the earliest possible time,” said Bello. “But sometimes due to the bulk of applications that we receive, there is a bit of a delay in the processing profiling, screening. So please understand.” he added. The Department of Labor and Employment’s COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP) is a safety net that offers a one-time P5,000 financial support to employees of companies or business establishments that have adopted flexible work arrangements or temporary closure due to COVID-19. To avail of the assistance, employers must submit their company payroll for February or earlier, which covers the period before the implementation of flexible working arrangements or temporary closure. Meanwhile, private workers in Metro Manila affected by the COVID-19 pandemic may now check if their company is among those establishments whose application for financial assistance has already been approved by the DOLE. The DOLE-National Capital Region posted the link to the list in their Facebook page April 8. The list may be accessed via campinfo.dole.gov.ph/ or ncr.dole.gov.ph/. The labor department also appealed to those who will access the list to be patient if the loading of their web page will be slow. “We expect many will access this,” read DOLE NCR’s post. “If you cannot access it right away, try visiting the page again after a few minutes,” it further read. On April 5, DOLE reported that close to 200,000 workers affected by the COVID pandemic have received cash assistance from the government. The labor department said some 102,895 formal sector workers had received the cash assistance under the CAMP, while close to 80,000 workers in the informal sector benefitted from the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Displaced/Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD)-Barangay ako Bahay Ko (BKBK) program.