NATIONWIDE ROUND-UP

Task force to assess proposed wage subsidy for SME workers, freelancers

THE Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) will study a lawmaker’s proposed P45 billion wage subsidy for workers in small, and medium enterprises (SMEs), solo entrepreneurs, and freelancers. “Let the IATF study this proposal because it’s a matter of: number one, funding the budget for this; and number two, kung hindi ba natatamaan na ito dun sa ating kasalakuyang programa (if this is not covered yet in our current programs),” IATF-EID Spokesperson Karlo Alexei B. Nograles said in a briefing Sunday. Albay 2nd District Representative José María Clemente S. Salceda said on Saturday that he is looking at wage subsidy program called the Payroll Support for Workers, Entrepreneurs, and Self-employed Program for five million formal sector workers affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis. The subsidy is between P2,500 to P3,000 per month for three months. One of the government’s approved programs is a one-time P5,000 cash aid for formal workers distributed through the Department of Labor and Employment. Meanwhile, another solon has proposed to include lower middle income families in the assistance program through a one-time unconditional cash grant of P5,000 per beneficiary. “There’s one way to expand the DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) Social Amelioration Program to include the lower middle class. For the lower middle income families that are not receiving any salary from the government or the private sector,” Agusan del Norte Rep. Lawrence H. Fortun said in a statement on Sunday. He recommended the use of various databases for determining eligible beneficiaries such as the Social Security System for registered kasambahays (househelp), police’s registry of licensed security guards, and the Commission on Higher Education’s enrollment list of indigent and low-income students in public and private colleges. —

DSWD supports temporary release of high-risk detainees amid COVID-19 threat

THE DEPARTMENT of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) expressed support to the proposed temporary release of sickly and elderly detainees in highly congested jails amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. “As the lead social protection agency, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) fully supports the recommendation of the House Committee on Justice, chaired by Leyte Rep. Vicente “Ching” (S.E.) Veloso (III),” DSWD said in a statement Sunday, citing humanitarian considerations. The House committee on justice, chaired by Mr. Veloso, earlier made the recommendation to the Defeat COVID-19 committee of the House of Representatives, citing that the Philippines has one of the highest congestion rates among global detention facilities. “In sum, Cong Veloso recommended the creation of an ad hoc committee… to evaluate and draft guidelines for the temporary release of non-violent, firsttime offenders, sick and elderly detainees,” Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Alfredo A. Garbin, Jr., vice chair of the House committee on justice, said in a Viber message to BusinessWorld.—

Lawmaker calls on DoH to withdraw position vs spraying disinfectants

A LAWMAKER called on the Department of Health (DoH) to withdraw its claim that misting or spraying disinfectants in public spaces are ineffective against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). House Deputy Speaker Danilo S. Fernandez, in a Facebook post on Saturday, said every possible action must be undertaken to combat the disease. In a radio interview Sunday, the Laguna representative noted that local governments launched misting operations following DoH recommendations on the use of disinfectants. “So somehow parang (it’s like an) error of judgment,” he said. Mr. Fernandez added that while there is no evidence that these methods are effective against the virus, there is also no evidence showing that it is ineffective. The DoH issued a statement on Friday discouraging spraying or misting as protection against COVID-19. “The DoH does not recommend spraying or misting. There is no evidence to support that spraying of surfaces or large scale misting of areas, indoor or outdoor with disinfecting agents, kills the virus,” it said. —