How to apply and claim your Php5,000 DOLE financial assistance

The outbreak of COVID-19 has left hundreds of people jobless due to the implemented community quarantine in a fight to stop the virus.

Taking heed of the voices of the masses, the Department of Labor and Employment rolled out a Php1.3 billion financial assistance program intended for 250,000 Filipino workers who lost their sources of income as a result of the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine.

The DOLE program, simply called as “CAMP” which stands for COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program, was formed as a rehabilitation project which would aid in the continuity of social and economic activities in response to the public health emergency amid the pandemic.

READ: All the answers to the frequently asked questions on DOLE’s financial assistance program

It aims to relieve affected workers in the private sector that have temporary closure or adopted Flexible Work Arrangements (FWA) (i.e. reduction of workdays/workhours, forced leaves, rotation of workers) by giving financial assistance as subsidy for their food and other needs while being restricted to travel and go to work within the one-month quarantine period.

In case you’re wondering, take note that employees of the government are not eligible for this program.

Who should apply for the DOLE CAMP program?

The applicant should be an officer of the company and not the employee himself/herself. Only those companies who have adopted FWAs or have been temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic are qualified to enroll in the program. This means that the workers can only avail of the financial support if their employers will apply on behalf of them.

UPDATE: Workers may now apply directly to DOLE. They are advised to submit their own forms to the appropriate DOLE office. The financial assistance will be transferred thru money remittance within 2 days after approval.

Note that DOLE clarified that CAMP is available nationwide. So whether you work in the NCR or in the province, you are still eligible. Also, it applies to all workers regardless of employment status (regular, probationary, or contractual).

How about workers in the informal sector such as transport drivers, construction workers and vendors? Are they qualified for the DOLE CAMP?

The DOLE CAMP applies to workers in the formal sector. If you are from the informal sector (transport drivers, vendors, construction workers, house helpers, farmers, fishermen, etc.), you may apply to DOLE’s TUPAD #BarangayKo, Bahay Ko (#BKBK) Disinfection/Sanitation Project where you can temporarily work and earn an income for your family’s basic needs.

What are the documents required for the DOLE CAMP?

The documents required to be submitted are:

1.) Establishment Report on the COVID-19 situation pursuant to Labor Advisory No. 9, Series of 2020.

Note that you have to specify the type of FWA and the main reason for the temporary closure of business. Also, ensure that all details are correct especially the e-mail address because this is where the result of the application will be sent.

You may download the report template here.

2.) Payroll from the company for the month prior the implementation of FWAs or temporary closure.

On March 30, the DOLE-NCR announced the additional requirements to be submitted to speed up the disbursement and remittance of the financial aid to the beneficiaries. In addition to the two documents above, other requirements to be submitted are:

3.) List of bank account numbers of affected workers in the payroll

4.) Specific branch and address of the bank of the company payroll

5.) List of updated contact numbers of affected workers

What is the DOLE CAMP application process?

Upon completion of documentary requirements, submission should be done online to the DOLE Regional Office or any of its field and provincial offices.

For the directory of DOLE Regional Offices, see page 4 and 5 of this document.

Within three working days upon receipt of complete documents, the concerned DOLE Regional Office will evaluate the application.

Depending on the assessment of the application, either of the following will be issued to the company representative by the concerned DOLE office within three working days. This will be sent via email.

• Notice of Approval (if application is approved)
• Notice of Denial (if application is denied)

What are the grounds for denial of application in DOLE’s CAMP program?

1.) Ineligibility of the applicant;
2.) Misrepresentation (or inaccurate) facts in the application; or
3.) Submission of tampered and/or falsified document.

As beneficiary, how can I receive the financial assistance?

The beneficiary-workers can receive their one-time financial aid worth Php5,000 directly in their payroll account from the DOLE via bank transfer. For those who are receiving their wage/salary by cash, the financial support will be transferred through money remittance. This will then be considered as completion of the CAMP. Within three working days, the affected establishment will receive a Notice of Completion e-mail.

Are there any alternative jobs offered by the government for the affected workers?

For workers looking for temporary jobs, the concerned DOLE office can refer them to the Public Employment Service Offices (PESO) in their respective municipalities for a full-cycle employment.

Those who intend to find subsequent employment will be given referral to companies with vacancies that would match the applicants’ qualifications.

DOLE-CAMP became effective on March 21, 2020 which is three days after the publication of its advisory on The Philippine Daily Inquirer. It is to be applied retrospectively from January 2020.

For inquiries about local and overseas employment, labor rights, work conditions and various programs, you may call the 24/7 DOLE hotline 1349. You may also reach them thru the DOLE Facebook page, Monday to Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. For more updates, visit their official website at www.dole.gov.ph.

Important Note: DOLE has suspended the acceptance of new applications for CAMP effective 5:00PM of April 15 due to near depletion of funds. Read the full statement here.

Source: DOLE