Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 26) — Beneficiaries of the Small Business Wage Subsidy program may claim their two-month cash grants only until this weekend from remittance outlets, the Department of Finance reminded on Friday.
“We are calling on these employees who were already notified to claim their subsidies from MLhullier to pick them up on or before June 28,” said Finance Assistant Secretary Tony Lambino. “Wage subsidies unclaimed after the said date shall be forfeited and shall revert to the government for use in other programs to fight COVID-19.”
The official also noted that the deadline had already been extended from the original June 10 due date.
As of June 24, more than 41,000 qualified employees under the first tranche and almost 60,000 from the second round have yet to claim their subsidies, according to the agency.
Lambino also said the government has already paid out 99 percent of the cash grants for both tranches of the SBWS program, which has benefited 3.1 million workers of small businesses gravely affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
“This means that more than ₱45.6 billion-worth of subsidies have been credited directly to more than 3 million beneficiaries in less than two months since the end of the application period in May 8,” he explained.
Lambino attributed the speedy payouts to the use of automated processing and digital technologies in implementing the program.
Under the SBWS, qualified workers are entitled to financial grants worth from ₱5,000 to ₱8,000 for two months. The program supports employees of small businesses who did not receive any income for at least two weeks due to work stoppages after the declaration of enhanced community quarantine and other COVID-19 containment measures since mid-March.
