Workers' subsidies released since yesterday

P16.4 billion subsidies released for 2.1 million workers

MANILA – The first half of the two-month wage subsidy package has been released to the accounts of more than 2.1 million qualified beneficiary workers of the Small Business Wage Subsidy (SBWS) program implemented jointly by the Department of Finance, Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Social Security System.

In a statement released today, the Department of Finance said the program was designed to support qualified workers who failed to receive their salaries for at least two weeks because of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) and other preventive measures imposed by the national and local government units since mid-March to twarth the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The SBWS interagency task force is chaired by the Department of Finance with Asst. Secretary Antonio Joselito Lambino II with SSS President-CEO Aurora Ignacio and BIR Deputy Commissioner Arnel Guballa as members.

Ignacio said about 160,000 employers submitted applications for the program before the filing of applications ended last May 8,2020.

Payouts have begun yesterday until May 31,2020. (Melo M. Acuña)

DOF Asst. Secretary Antonio Joselito Lambino II. (File Photo/Melo M. Acuna)