Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III. (File photo)
MANILA – Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello III on Tuesday dismissed reports that they are not transparent in reporting the real numbers of workers affected by the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
“We wish to take strong exception to the claim by some groups that the labor department is underreporting or downplaying the actual number of workers affected by the community quarantine to contain the spread of Covid-19 in the country. We have been forthright and transparent,” he said in a statement.
Bello said the agency is working hard to make sure that the most number of workers will get assistance.
"There is no reason for us in government, much less in the labor department, to play with numbers -- underreport or otherwise downplay them,” the DOLE chief added.
His remarks came after labor groups accused DOLE of "underreporting" the number of workers affected by the public health emergency.
He added that the figures are from the records of establishments that have been submitted to their local offices in the country.
“Our numbers are based on reports submitted to our field and regional offices by establishments, indicating the extent by which the national health emergency affects each one of them. On several occasions, too, we have called on enterprises and companies to submit to our offices the names of their workers and employees, regardless of employment status, so that we can provide assistance under our amelioration scheme Covid Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP),” the DOLE chief added.
He, meanwhile, acknowledged private establishments for replying to their call to avail for their workers the cash assistance provided by the government.
“We are thankful to those who responded positively to our request that the PHP5,000 one-time assistance under CAMP has already benefitted about 220,000 workers with close to PHP1.1 billion in assistance funds,” Bello said.
He also said the agency continues to accept establishment reports to get "a better picture of the impact of the health emergency on the workplaces", adding that the numbers "keep getting bigger by the day".
As of Monday, Bello reported that they have recorded the displacement of 1,428,841 workers as reported by 52,993 establishments.
“More than 1 million of those were due to temporary closures while the balance was affected by various flexible work arrangements. And this is not counting the number of informal sector workers in their hundreds of thousands who are also needing financial assistance,” he added. (PNA)
