Cash aid for COVID-19 lockdown: Labor dept seeks patience for 'slight delay'

Watch more in iWantv or TFC.tv

MANILA - The Department of Labor and Employment on Monday appealed for patience from hundreds of thousands who applied for cash aid to get them through the COVID-19 lockdown, saying it was working to overcome delays.

Of the total formal sector workers 596,146 who applied for P5,000 cash aid, 102,895 have been paid. Another 173,587 were approved and 319,664 awaited approval, said Labor Asec. Dominique Tutay.

The DOLE is on a "very limited" workforce and is working through issues in the banking system, Tutay told DZMM.

"Meron lamang tayong konting delay (There's a slight delay) but we’re really working with stakeholders," Tutay, she said.

"Approved na yung pera pero yung paglalagay ng pera sa individual accounts it will also take some time. Pakiusap namin sa publiko habaan niyo po ang pasensya sa amin. ito po ay ginagawan namin ng paraan," she added.

(The budget has been approved, the problem is transferring the money to individul accounts. Please be patient with us. We are trying to find solve this)

• 180,000 workers affected by COVID-19 crisis receive cash aid: DOLE
• Workers can go straight to DOLE for P5,000 cash aid: Bello

The Labor Department's Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program aims to reach some 700,000 informal workers nationwide, Tutay said.

Currently, the program has about 72,703 beneficiaries nationwide, she said.