The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE-6) has distributed a total of P5.8 million worth of financial assistance to 1,160 workers in Western Visayas as part of the agency’s COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP) 3.

Each beneficiary received a one-time financial assistance amounting to P5,000. They are workers from establishments that engaged in accommodation and food services, transportation and storage, education, manufacturing, real estate, wholesale and retail, construction and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles industry.

Lawyer Sixto T. Rodriguez, Jr., DOLE-6 director, said the third wave of financial assistance under the CAMP was provided to displaced or temporarily laid off workers affected by retrenchment, permanent or temporary closure implemented by their employers as a mitigating measure to the effect of COVID-19 during the implementation of Alert Level 3 or higher in their area.

To fill the needs of the affected workers, Rodriguez supervised in the fast evaluation of the applications and in the timely release of the financial assistance.

Marilou V. Biñas, one of the beneficiaries, said she’s more than grateful to DOLE for the assistance she received. The benefits helped sustain their needs when a learning center she was working with ceased its operation during the declaration of Alert Level 3 in Roxas, Capiz.

“The assistance helped me and my co-employees now that we temporarily lost our job,” she said.

Due to the effect of the declaration of Alert Level 3 in the tourism industry in Boracay Island, the province of Aklan recorded the most number of affected workers reaching 739. It was followed by Capiz with 164 and Iloilo with 131.IMT