THE DEPARTMENT of Labor and Employment (DoLE) said it will need over P180 billion at most to implement its proposed wage subsidy program.
Labor Assistant Secretary Dominique R. Tutay said in a virtual briefing on Friday that the department has submitted its request to the Department of Budget and Management for review, noting the proposals indicated estimated budgets if the DoLE will subsidize 25%, 50%, and 75% of workers’ wages.
“If we will shoulder 25% of the average wage, P62 billion ang pinakababa na request. Ang pinakamataas nasa P188 billion, that would cover 75% of the average monthly wage rate,” Ms. Tutay said.
She added that the budget proposal was based on the average wages of workers from different industries. She said the subsidy will be around P7,000 to P11,000. The wage subsidy program will run for three months.
She said the Labor department does not have any budget in its national spending plan for 2021 that could be allocated four the program.
Meanwhile, Ms. Tutay said the DoLE has assisted 3.9 million workers through its financial assistance programs since the onset of the lockdown last year which affected millions of employees both here and abroad.
Around 1.7 million formal sector workers were given assistance through the COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program, while 461,757 overseas Filipino workers were paid financial aid through the Abot Kamay ang Pagtutulong Program.
Over 1.7 million displaced informal sector workers were given emergency employment and assistance through the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers program. — G.M. Cortez