DOLE allots P100M for free COVID-19 testing of newly-hired jobseekers

CLARK FREEPORT--Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said newly-hired jobseekers who are required to secure a negative RT-PCR test result as pre-employment requirement can avail of a onetime free COVID-19 testing, said Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III.

"DOLE has allocated P100 million for this program. Through this, we intend to ease the burden of additional COVID-19 cost among newly-hired jobseekers in the private sector, agency-hired overseas workers set for deployment, and even newlyappointed employees in any branch or instrumentality of the government,” Bello sai d.

Bello recently signed Department Order 232, Series of 2022 providing one-time assistance on COVID-19 testing to new entrants in the job market.

The program shall cover jobseekers hired after the effectivity of the Department Order and jobseekers employed beginning February 1, 2022 who are yet to assume position due to lack of negative RT-PCR test results.

To avail of the COVID19 test subsidy, newlyhired jobseekers must submit a photocopy of a valid government-issued ID and duly accomplished subsidy application form to the nearest DOLE Field Office.

They must also submit a certificate of engagement, acceptance, or appointment duly signed by the establishment owner, general manager, or human resource manager for those hired in private domestic establishments and by recruitment agencies deploying workers overseas; or head of the agency or the head of the human resource office for those hired in any government branch or instrumentality.

The concerned DOLE Field Office shall evaluate the application within three working days from receipt and endorse the pre-evaluated applications to the concerned Regional Office.

The DOLE Regional Office shall then notify the applicant within five working days whether the application is approved or denied through electronic mail/ SMS.

If approved, the electronic mail shall include the information that the beneficiary shall present to the testing center, such as reference number and date, time, and place of testing.

To ensure program monitoring, the DOLE Regional Offices are tasked to submit weekly monitoring reports to the Bureau of Local Employment.