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MANILA - Some 100,000 employers are awaiting cash aid from government, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said Tuesday, as workers reeled from Luzon's month-long lockdown.

The agency has so far disbursed P5,000 cash each to several workers in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon, Assistant Secretary Dominique Rubia Tutay said.

• DOLE to provide P5,000 to displaced workers during Luzon lockdown

The Department of Budget and Management is set to release the fund to DOLE field offices on April 1, she added.

"Dumagsa ang ating applications at more than 100,000 na po ang na-process ng ating regional offices awaiting for payment," Tutay told radio DZMM.

(We were swamped with applications and our regional offices have processed more than 100,000 awaiting for payment.)

"Pumasa na po sila sa evaluation ng ating regional office and then iyan po ihahanda na po iyong pera."

(They have passed the evaluation of our regional office and cash is being prepared.)

The aid will be coursed through the employer's bank account if the company has a payroll system. It can also be given directly to the employees through money remittance centers, Tutay said.

Some 2,433 informal workers in Metro Manila have so far received aid from DOLE since March 20, Tutay said. The next payout will be on April 6 and 7 to 17,660 and 31,190 informal workers, respectively, she said.

DOLE's regional offices will be disbursing aid to provinces next month, Tutay said.

Government will also give out cards which will be used to identify how much financial assistance a citizen has received from its agencies.

Some 18 million families will receive P5,000 to P8,000 each under the stimulus law that gave President Rodrigo Duterte special powers to deal with the pandemic.

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"Makikita po doon sinong ahensiya at magkano po ang tulong na naibigay," she told radio DZMM.

(It will show how much assitance has been provided and from what agency.)

"Halimbawa po, dito sa NCR, nakapagbigay na kami ng P5,000. Ita-top-up na lang po yung remaining amount kasi P8,000 po ang threshold dito sa NCR."

(For example in NCR we have given out P5,000. The remaining balance of P8,000, the threshold in NCR, will be given.)

The Philippines has declared a national emergency as government continued to find ways to contain the spread of COVID-19, which has killed 78 people in the country.

• COVID-19 cases in PH up by 128; total at 1,546