D.O.F EXTENDS APPLICATION FOR SMALL BUSINESS WAGE SUBSIDY TO MAY 8

THe government has extended the application period for the Small Business Wage Subsidy (SBWS) program to May 8 from the original April 30 deadline.

In an advisory on Friday, the Department of Finance (DOF) announced the deadline of extension for the SBWS program following the technical problems in the web site of the state-run Social Security System (SSS). The application period for the program started on April 16.

DOF said eligible employers may use one of two methods to apply for the program on behalf of their employees.

According to DOF, instructions for the application have been sent to Sbws-eligible employers, whose e-mail addresses are on file with SSS.

Those who did not receive the e-mailed instructions may proceed with the regular application process via their MY.SSS account, DOF said.

Under the SBWS program, wage subsidies will be given to 3.4 million employees who are not able to work due to the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the entire Luzon and other parts of the country.

The wage subsidies to be given will range from P5,000 to P8,000 per month for two months depending on the regions where the workers are employed.

The DOF announced earlier that the first tranche of wage subsidies under the program will be released from May 1 to May 15. The second tranche will be given from May 16 to May 31, which is dependent on whether the ECQ is lifted at an earlier date or is extended by the President.

on Friday, President Duterte announced that he is extending the ECQ period until May 15 in the national Capital Region, Region 3, Region 4A, and all other high-risk areas.

Moderate-risk areas will be under general community quarantine (GCQ) starting May 1, subject to further evaluation.

Low-risk areas will fall under general community quarantine starting May 1, and if there is no deterioration, the GCQ will be relaxed leading to normalization starting May 16. Bernadette D. Nicolas