Gov't to implement P50.8 M wage subsidy; new measures may come later
Published Apr 16, 2020 12:00 am
By Genalyn Kabiling
The government will proceed to implement the P50.8 billion small business wage subsidy before considering additional amelioration measures.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles (Photo from Karlo Nograles / Facebook page / MANILA BULLETIN)
According to Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, the government can look into the proposed P10,000 wage subsidy for all formal workers but would proceed to implement the initial program for workers in small businesses for now.
"We can take a look at the proposals but what has already been approved is P5,000 to P8,000 and like I said, again, we cannot be bogged down by going back na naman to the drawing board and thinking about these things," Nograles said during a virtual press conference Thursday.
"Kung anong mayroon na tayo let’s just implement it and then saka na lang natin isipin iyong additional, if ever (Let's just implement what we have and then think about the additional if ever)," he added.
President Duterte recently approved the P50.8-billion wage subsidy program for 3.4 million employees in small businesses affected by the quarantine regulations.
Under the two-month Small Business Wage Subsidy Program, the government will give a subsidy ranting from P5,000 to P8,000 per beneficiary depending on the minimum wage level in a region.
The database of the Bureau of Internal Revenue and Social Security System will reportedly be used to help identify the target beneficiaries. The subsidies may be distributed through bank and e-wallet accounts of the beneficiaries.
To prevent duplication, workers who benefited from the Department of Labor and Employment's one-time P5,000 aid will only be eligible for a one-month wage subsidy.
The Partido Manggagawa recently appealed to the government to give a P10,000 wage subsidy for all formal workers. The group claimed that the P50-billion subsidy for workers in small businesses would not be enough.
“The wage subsidy to SME workers suffers from the same problems as the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) and COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP)—the amount of aid is not enough and are difficult to implement since targeted and discriminatory,” Rene Magtubo, PM national chair, said in a recent statement.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles (Photo from Karlo Nograles / Facebook page / MANILA BULLETIN)
According to Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, the government can look into the proposed P10,000 wage subsidy for all formal workers but would proceed to implement the initial program for workers in small businesses for now.
"We can take a look at the proposals but what has already been approved is P5,000 to P8,000 and like I said, again, we cannot be bogged down by going back na naman to the drawing board and thinking about these things," Nograles said during a virtual press conference Thursday.
"Kung anong mayroon na tayo let’s just implement it and then saka na lang natin isipin iyong additional, if ever (Let's just implement what we have and then think about the additional if ever)," he added.
President Duterte recently approved the P50.8-billion wage subsidy program for 3.4 million employees in small businesses affected by the quarantine regulations.
Under the two-month Small Business Wage Subsidy Program, the government will give a subsidy ranting from P5,000 to P8,000 per beneficiary depending on the minimum wage level in a region.
The database of the Bureau of Internal Revenue and Social Security System will reportedly be used to help identify the target beneficiaries. The subsidies may be distributed through bank and e-wallet accounts of the beneficiaries.
To prevent duplication, workers who benefited from the Department of Labor and Employment's one-time P5,000 aid will only be eligible for a one-month wage subsidy.
The Partido Manggagawa recently appealed to the government to give a P10,000 wage subsidy for all formal workers. The group claimed that the P50-billion subsidy for workers in small businesses would not be enough.
“The wage subsidy to SME workers suffers from the same problems as the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) and COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP)—the amount of aid is not enough and are difficult to implement since targeted and discriminatory,” Rene Magtubo, PM national chair, said in a recent statement.