The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) issued a total of PHP 6.3 million worth in cash for the of worker’s groups in the localities in the Mindoro region (Occidental and Oriental) namely: Romblon, Marinduque, and Palawan (MIMAROPA).
The intention of the financial aid according to Albert Gutib, Director of DOLE (MIMAROPA), was to help the marginalized workers of the region whose jobs are affected by the current COVID–19 PANDEMIC.
These worker groups come from a variety of industries like fishing, coconut farming, shop workers, tricycle drivers, and other miscellaneous groups from a wide variety of industries.
Among the fishermen groups, 96 members were awarded a total PHP 725, 000 or USD 14977.02 from the DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP).
In another area, Occidental Mindoro, the women’s group Samahan ng mga Inang Nagkakaisa ng Tahanan Association (SINTA) also received PHP 500,000.00 or $ 10328.98 to help the group in financing their bakery business.
Another program called TUPAD or Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged / Displaced workers gave out a total PHP 1.6 million or $ 33052.73 to 500 displaced workers in the province. Overall, these new beneficiaries are added to a total of 5,765 individuals who already received their pieces of the pie.
The importance of TUPAD program for the Philippines
According to Albert Gutib, Santa Maria Coconut Farmers and Processing Association (SMFCFPA) is valued for its high-quality coconut products such as coconut oil for the province of Romblon so in order to help them out during these tough times, the association received PHP 1 million in financial aid. He also added, “Our region is divided into island provinces but our team is one and united and determined to bring our package of assistance to our people especially to the vulnerable workers amid the crises.” Along with the coconut farmers, informal workers in the municipality of Concepcion, Romblon were given PHP 1.5 million in financial aid. The TUPAD program is instrumental in the distribution of daily wages to the workers.
The alternative work given includes, 10 days of sanitation and disinfection or repackaging of relief goods for the community and each worker receives PHP 3,200.00 which is based on the minimum wage of the region. “I’m very thankful because I was able to earn and also help in cleaning our community. This is a big help to all of us especially during this time.” Rolando Familaran stated. He, among many others like him, also received compensation for their work.
The TUPAD program is essentially an alternative employment plan that takes in displaced workers where the local government pays them to work a variety of jobs. This helps to reduce the negative impacts of not just the current pandemic but also in times of other kinds of disasters.
Alternative ways to find money during a pandemic
The government, however, cannot always provide the necessary financial aid to the local citizens so alternative sources of financial assistance are needed for anyone trying to cope in these trying times. Typically, the beneficiaries of such programs are given first to the most disadvantaged. As much as the government wants to help everyone in every income bracket, there simply isn’t enough cash to go around. Fortunately, in this day and age, financial institutions exist. Sure, you have banks but unless there is a command from the government for banks to make it easy for displaced workers to get a loan, getting a loan from the bank is not going to be easy. Mainstream banks, for the most part, have strict requirements especially when it comes to collaterals and job security, and in a time of a pandemic and lockdowns, the latter is simply not possible. Finally, there have been many reports of people switching to online alternatives for obtaining income, and most of these alternatives are based on selling. Now, anyone who lost their job due to the pandemic and is looking to switch is going to need some initial funding, especially those who have virtually no savings since they have been living on wage to wage.
Thus, the aforementioned alternative sources for online loan free interest is a must even for the simple janitor who is out of a stable job. For example, Robocash company is a Philippine service that provides financial loans to people who are in dire need and who are not able to loan from a bank. Whatever the business venture is, there’s going to be some initial funding required. Robocash, is a service that is available to all. There are certain requirements but these are not as stringent as those found in a bank.
Some of the Requirements of Robocash are as follows:
1. The borrower must be of legal age of 18 but not more than 70 by the time the loan term ends.
2. For businesses or people who are self-employed, a DTI certificate is required.
3. For those employees, 1 ID that is issued by your employer or company.
4. 1 government-issued id such as Postal or Voters or even a passport.
5. Other supporting documents such as a utility bill or payslip, will be needed in case your application is having trouble getting approval.
6. A valid mobile number.
7. The borrower must create an account on the Robocash website.
8. No collaterals are required.
For a first time borrower under short term loans, an amount ranging PHP 1,000.00 to PHP 10, 000.00 can be borrowed, for the next round of loans, the amount can be as low as PHP 1,000.00 to as high as PHP 25,000.00. This is payable within 7-30 days. To keep yourself financially safe, only borrow the amount necessary. Follow proper financial advice to not spend beyond your capability, to avoid spiraling into debt. It is important to make the most of what we can get financially even if it’s in the form of a small debt. There are still other bits of information to be discovered.