DOLE allots P12.7 billion for workers' protection, welfare

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has set aside P12.73 billion for its Workers Protection and Welfare Program in 2021, accounting for the bulk of the agency's proposed budget for next year.

According to the National Expenditure Program (NEP) uploaded on the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) website, the DOLE is set to receive a general fund of P27.01 billion, which includes the budget of its attached agencies.

The Workers Protection and Welfare Program, lodged under the Office of the Secretary, will include P1.224 billion for procurement services, P11.506 billion for maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE), and P8 million for financial expenses.

The program covers livelihood and emergency employment; welfare services; reintegration service for overseas Filipino workers; verification of overseas employment documents; and the emergency repatriation program.

Under the program, the DOLE is targeting to serve 3,201,672 beneficiaries.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported an unemployment rate of 17.7% for the month of April, reflecting an increase of 5 million jobless Filipinos to 7.3 million.

Earlier in the year, the DOLE aimed to provide P5,000 cash aid to 85,000 workers affected by the coronavirus pandemic after businesses were closed down in compliance with community quarantines.

However, the program was closed on April 15 to give way to the P51-billion wage subsidy program rolled out by the Department of Finance (DOF) for small and medium enterprise (SME) workers.

According to DOLE, it was able to provide cash assistance to 236,412 workers from 10,663 establishments, with total cash disbursements of P1.2 billion.

OWWA to get P7B

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), one of the attached agencies of the Labor department, has been appropriated with P7.4 billion budget for next year, a big leap from its current budget of P1.588 billion.

As part of OWWA's Social Protection and Welfare for OFWs program, P2.5 billion pesos will go to financial assistance and subsidy of overseas Filipino workers, including those who have been displaced by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Another big-ticket item in the OWWA budget is the rent/lease expenses at P1.61 billion.

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), mandated to promote and develop the overseas employment program and protect the rights of migrant workers, will get P507.76 million.

This includes P187.317 million for the overseas employment and welfare program, and P147.983 million for the overseas employment regulatory program.

According to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the government has so far recorded a total of 153,124 repatriates since February.

Under its expenditure program next year, the DOLE is also allocating P762.55 million for Employment Facilitation Program and P681.229 million for Employment Preservation and Regulation Program.

In the Employment Facilitation Program, the Labor department is targeting to refer for placement 1,500,000 qualified job seekers. It is also targeting to serve 245,858 beneficiaries under its Employment Preservation and Regulation Program.—LDF, GMA News