AMID the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has never left a stone unturned in providing help to distressed members of the labor sector.
The continuous assistance provided by DOLE recently touched the lives of workers in the Bioethanol industry in Negros Occidental whose employment were affected by COVID-19.
DOLE-Regional Office VI (DOLE-RO VI) through its Negros Occidental Field Office (NOFO), released P2.8 million financial assistance to 424 workers in the Bioethanol industry under the Social Amelioration and Welfare Program – Adjustment Measures Initiative (SAWP-AMIn).
A one-time financial assistance of P7,000 was provided to qualified beneficiaries who had not received financial assistance from any government agencies or from the local government unit. An equivalent to a fraction thereof was also given to those who have received such assistance that does not exceed P7,000.
“The financial assistance provided income augmentation and additional cash support to Bioethanol workers affected by the plants’ adoption of either flexible work arrangement or temporary closure during the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine,” said DOLE-RO VI Regional Director Cyril Ticao.
SAWP-AMIn is a social safety strategy developed by DOLE and approved by the National Tripartite Consultative Council for the Bioethanol industry, to respond to the economic shocks and sudden loss of income encountered by Bioethanol workers due to the implementation of quarantine measures.
“The Bioethanol plants identified the beneficiaries who were affected during the implementation of flexible work arrangement or temporary closure while DOLE evaluated the validity of the list,” said DOLE-RO VI – NOFO Head Mary Agnes Capigon.
There are three Bioethanol plants in Negros Occidental that availed the assistance namely, Roxol Bioenergy Corporation, San Carlos Bioenergy Corporation and Victorias Milling Company.
“Not all Bioethanol plant workers availed of the said financial assistance due to ineligibility of the applicants as provided under the guidelines. Nonetheless, the support extended by DOLE was of great help to the beneficiaries whose work was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic,” added Capigon.(DOLE-VI)
