BORACAY ISLAND, Aklan -- Workers affected by the island’s closure can now claim monetary assistance from the government easily with the relaxed guidelines set by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
Carmella Abellar, DOLE 6 (Western Visayas)-Aklan officer-in-charge, in an interview on Friday, said all affected Boracay workers will now receive PHP4,200 per month, or 50 percent of the monthly minimum wage for the region, for a period of six months.
This was based on the relaxed guidelines on the adjustment measures program (AMP) for affected workers due to Boracay Island rehabilitation as stated on DOLE’s Department Order 191-A series of 2018, she said.
Based on the previous guidelines of DOLE, retained workers can only receive PHP2,100 per month for a period of three months.
“There will be no more distinctions,” Abellar said.
Abellar also said instead of two job contacts and one training per month, Boracay Emergency Employment Program (BEEP) beneficiaries will only be required to submit two job contacts and one training for the six months duration.
To fast track the release of assistance, the payment for financial support for the beneficiaries will now also be paid through M Lhuillier Financial Services.
Abellar said the agency has started releasing financial support to Boracay workers through M Lhuiller this week.
“We aim to finish the release of financial assistance to six batches of beneficiaries by Tuesday next week,” she said.
Those who already applied with Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) cash cards can also expect to receive their financial assistance soon.
Abellar said the LBP-Caticlan is set to release cash cards to 2,207 beneficiaries starting Friday.
According to DOLE, all formal sector workers or those with specific or determined employers are qualified to apply for BEEP-AMP.
Out of the about 19,000 profiled workers in Boracay, there were already more than 11,000 applicants for the BEEP-AMP, Abellar said. (PNA)
