Gov't starts accepting applications for wage subsidy program

The Philippine government has begun accepting applications for its Small Business Wage Subsidy Program to assist micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in retaining employees during the COVID-19 community quarantine.

The program aims to provide a wage subsidy of P5,000 to P8,000 per worker for two months, intended for MSME workers who are primarily from the lower-middle class.

While the government initially allocated P51 billion for MSME wage subsidies, Representative Bernadette Herrera urged that the program should cover over 5.7 million MSME workers, as reports suggest it may only reach 3.4 million.

Herrera highlighted that the MSME sector accounts for approximately two-thirds of all formal jobs in the country, creating 5,714,262 jobs in 2018, and limiting recipients would leave many jobless.

Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III stated the government's priority is to save lives and support sectors heavily impacted by the economic slowdown, with the subsidy designed to help workers cover essential needs like food and medicine.