THE Department of Labor and Employment has released the guidelines for its P1-billion COVID Adjustment Measure Program (CAMP) this year.

Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III said Department Order No. 232 describes the program as a “safety net program that provides a one-time financial assistance to affected workers in the formal sector due to the COVID-19 pandemic and declaration of Alert Level 3 or higher in various areas in the country.”

“The program covers workers and individuals in the private sector affected by the pandemic where Alert Level 3 or higher was declared from January 2022 onwards. A one-time financial assistance of P5,000 shall be provided to affected workers,” he said.

Bello said they are targeting to open the application for CAMP 2022 next week.

He added affected workers and individuals can apply for CAMP 2022, the financial assistance, through the DOLE Establishment Reporting System (ERS) https://reports.dole.gov.ph.

The DOLE said applicant must be a private establishment that implemented temporary closure or permanent closure during the implementation of Alert Level 3 or higher in their area or a worker/employee whose employment was affected – displaced or temporarily laid-off – during the hoisting of the said alert level.

Affected establishments must submit the following: Establishment Report of temporary or permanent closure; Latest company payroll or any alternative documents such as proof of payments of wages via logbook or ledge; employment contract; authority to debit account sent by employer to bank for wages of employees; list of SSS, Pag-IBIG, PhilHealth remittances or any list of remittances; list of employees with 13th month pay.

For affected individual workers, they must submit a clear photo of himself/herself holding a valid government-issued ID; and duly notarized proof of unemployment (i.e. Certificate of Employment, Notice of Termination, Notarized Affidavit of Termination of Employment, or Notice of Temporary Lay-off) covering the period of Alert Level 3 in their areas.

Applications with complete documentary requirements shall be submitted online through https://reports.dole.gov.ph.

Applications shall be evaluated by the concerned DOLE Regional Office within three working days from receipt of the documents.

Depending on the status of evaluation, the concerned DOLE regional official shall issue with three working days through e-mail or SMS either of the following: For approved application: Notice of Approval; For denied application: Notice of Denial; or Disbursement of P5,000 cash aid.

Upon approval of the application by the Regional Director and upon receipt of Notice of Approval by the beneficiary, the concerned DOLE Regional Office shall issue the financial support directly to the beneficiary through bank transfer or electronic payment facility within two weeks upon receipt of the approval notice.

Bello warned that an applicant may be denied if it is ineligible, misrepresented facts in the application, or submitted falsified or tampered documents.