Small business employees will still get gov’t assistance – IATF

Despite the suspension of the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE’s) emergency subsidy for formal workers, employees of small businesses will continue to receive assistance from the government through the Small Business Wage Subsidy (SBWS) Program of the Department of Finance.

In his Friday presser, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the DOF’s SBWS aims to give cash aid to 3.4 million employees of 1.5 million small businesses nationwide that are affected by the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) imposed due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

The program, which will have a budget of ₱51 billion, will give an emergency subsidy ranging from ₱5,000 to ₱8,000 per employee every month for two months.

Small business employers or those not included in the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s (BIR’s) Large Taxpayers Service can apply on behalf of their employees through the Social Security System (SSS) website using their my.SSS accounts.

Businesses that were forced to close down due to the (ECQ) may also apply, as well as those allowed to operate on a skeleton force.

“We will help all affected small businesses but those abiding by SSS and BIR guidelines will be prioritized,” he said in Pilipino.

The application period for the SBWS is from April 16 to 30, while the distribution of the first tranche will be from May 1 to 15.

According to Nograles, the second tranche may be released between May 16 to 31 depending on the ECQ.

Nograles said those qualified for the program are all active employees of the said businesses who have not received their salaries for more than two weeks due to the temporary closure of their businesses.

He added that those under a contract status are qualified.