Senator Joel Villanueva has appealed to the private sector to help alleviate the concerns of workers across all industries and sectors who are equally affected by community quarantines being enforced in different areas to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Villanueva said the government has been pulling all stops to cover the needs of its workers from regular, plantilla employees down to contractual workers whom the lawmaker describe as the most vulnerable in the crisis because of the “no work, no pay” policy.
“Our government is doing everything in its power to cushion the impact of quarantine on all its workers. We hope our private sector partners do the same, especially for their daily paid workers who are the most vulnerable in this crisis because of the no work, no pay policy,” said the chair of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment, and Human Resource Development.
“We trust that our private sector will devise ways for its workers to continue earning a living.”
“We commit ourselves to provide any kind of assistance to our affected workers in the private sector.”
“Our workers need all the help they can get to weather the crisis we are facing now. We trust that our private sector will devise ways for its workers to continue earning a living for their respective families affected by the community quarantines being imposed in different parts of the country,” the veteran legislator added.
Villanueva recently wrote to Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III urging the labor department to tap the Adjustment Measures Program (AMP) and implement the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers Program (TUPAD) — two safety net programs for workers in the private sector.
A program that provides a package of assistance and other forms of intervention to assist distressed workers and companies in coping with economic and social disruptions, the AMP was tapped by the labor department to help workers in Boracay who were affected by its rehabilitation in 2018. The same program was also used in 2016 for displaced education workers as the country transitioned to the K-12 curriculum.
TUPAD meanwhile, is an emergency employment program implemented in communities for displaced workers, seasonal workers, and even for the underemployed. Beneficiaries work for a minimum of 10 days but not exceeding 30 days, depending on the nature of the work to be performed.
Villanueva said accessing these programs will help displaced workers survive the impact of the community quarantines being enforced in different areas which are expected to be in place until April 14, explained the seasoned lawmaker.
“While some businesses implement a skeletal staff to be in place, earnings of daily-paid workers will still considerably shrink, and it may not be enough to cover their basic needs,” the senator said.
“These programs of the labor department will help workers especially those whose jobs are at establishments ordered shut during the quarantine period.”
In Metro Manila, local government units (LGUs) called for a temporary shutdown of malls and other public establishments, except those deemed essential such as supermarkets, groceries, and pharmacies, among others as part of efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 by limiting the movement of people.
Earlier, Villanueva pushed for the continued pay of contractual workers in government so that they could still receive salaries while on telecommute or as part of a skeletal staff. Both the Civil Service Commission and the Commission on Audit had a meeting to finalize the resolution.
“We can overcome this crisis together, better and stronger, because we are Filipinos.”
Villanueva also credited firms such as banks and a number of public utilities who have extended grace periods for payments on their loans and postpaid services like telecoms and internet access providers. He likewise made a similar call to government lenders such as the Social Security System, the Government Service Insurance System and the Pag-IBIG fund to waive interest and penalties for late payments.
He extended an appeal to mall operators and property owners to extend discounts and waive rentals “so business owners can continue to pay their workers especially and even when malls close.”
“We appeal to their good sense of bayanihan. One good deed goes a long, long way in these trying times. We can overcome this crisis together, better and stronger, because we are Filipinos. We are a resilient people,” Villanueva said.