MANILA, Philippines – Workers in the informal sector who need livelihood aid can now avail themselves of as much as P20,000 from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, through Department Order 173, increased the cash grant of the DOLE Integrated Livelihood and Emergency Program (DILEEP) from P10,000 to P20,000.

“Ang DILEEP ay isang programa na nagbibigay ng alternatibong trabaho sa mga mahihirap, vulnerable, at marginalized workers. Itinaas namin ang halaga ng tulong pinansyal para sa mga indibidwal na benepisyaryo upang masuportahan ang kanilang kabuhayan at tulungan itong mapalago bilang isang masiglang negosyo,” said Bello.

(DILEEP is a program that gives alternative work for the poor, vulnerable, and marginalized workers. We have increased the financial aid for each beneficiary to support their livelihood and help it grow as a viable business.)

Target beneficiaries of the program are informal sector workers or self-employed workers with insufficient earnings, farmers who don’t own the lands they till, unpaid family workers, parents of child laborers, low-wage or seasonal workers, and displaced workers.

Groups operating micro, small, or medium enterprises can also get cash grants.

Under the group livelihood project, an organization of 50 members with medium-scale livelihood can receive financial aid of as much as P1 million. Those with 26-50 members operating small-scale livelihood can apply for a P500,000 grant, while those composed of 15 to 25 members can have as much as P250,000.

The DOLE will also give sanitary tools and accessories such as gloves, masks, and aprons for those eyeing to put up a food business.

In the Philippines, there are an estimated 15.3 million informal sector workers. They are considered among the most marginalized, aside from farmers, fishermen, urban poor, women, children, and the elderly. – Rappler.com