FFW SUPPORTS SEN. HONTIVEROS' P10K CASH ASSISTANCE FOR THE WORKERS

The Federation of Free Workers (FFW) supports Senator Riza Hontiveros' proposal for at least P10,000 cash assistance to contractual workers and those in the informal economy who will be most affected by the community quarantine imposed in Metro Manila. Contractuals, endo workers and those in the informal sector are the most affected  of the economic, social and health impacts of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Failure to protect them will increase the spread of the disease.


Thus, special provisions must be made to immediately extend emergency assistance like cash assistance, 14-day quarantine leave, paid sick-leave entitlements to workers who lack them, and to improve sick leave provisions where they exist as well as to ensure working conditions and arrangements that provide protection.

This cash assistance will augment the unemployment insurance of P1.2B earmarked by SSS for the projected 60,000 employees that will probably be displaced by the COVID 19 Corona virus. According to Senator Hontiveros, around 650,000 Filipino households will become the “new poor” in Metro Manila alone due to the economic implications of the lockdown. In a bilateral meeting of trade unions and the DOLE last week, the DOLE broached the idea of P10K per month for three months in addition to the SSS unemployment insurance.

FFW also supports Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez for Congress to convene to tackle urgent issues like the coronavirus. He said Congress, which went on recess on March 11, could not afford to wait until the resumption of its session on May 4 because of the need for urgent measures.

Atty. Sonny Matula
FFW President