The labor department on Thursday said it received reports that some employers had refused to apply for a P5,000 government assistance for every worker hit by a Luzon-wide lockwide to contain the novel coronavirus.

Employers are required to submit the payroll of their employees in applying for the assistance at the agency's regional offices. However, the document could show if an employer is not paying correct wages, said Labor Assistant Secretary Dominique Tutay.

"Kalimutan na po muna natin iyon, ibigay po natin kung anong nararapat and we will just deal with these erring employers after this crisis po," she said in a DZMM interview.

(Let's forget that for now, let's give workers what is due to them and we will just deal with these erring employers after this crisis.)

The cash aid is for those whose employers adopted a flexible work arrangement or went on temporary shutdown due to Luzon's lockdown, set until April 12, she said.

The application process will give priority to micro, small, and medium enterprises with 200 workers and below, said Tutay.

There is no deadline and applicants will be entertained on a "first come, first serve" basis, she said.

The Philippines as of Wednesday confirmed 38 deaths and 26 patients who recovered out of its total 636 cases of the respiratory disease. The tally is expected to spike with the recent arrival of additional test kits, the health department earlier said.

DZMM, March 26, 2020