ILOILO CITY, Aug. 24 (PIA) - More than 71,000 domestic workers and overseas Filipino workers in the Visayas received assistance from various programs of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

In Western Visayas alone, a total of 25,400 workers were provided COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP) cash aid by the government.

During the online talk show "Mugstoria Ta" hosted by Assistant Secretary Jonji Gonzales of the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas, DOLE 6 Information Officer Niezel Sabrido said that the CAMP assistance given to the beneficiaries Western Vaisayas reached P122.5 million.

Most of the affected workers are based in Negros Occidental and Aklan provinces, she said.

CAMP is DOLE's safety net program for the formal sector which provides a one-time financial assistance of P5,000 to workers in private establishments who experienced loss or reduction of income due to temporary closure or flexible work arrangements during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Sabrido said that a number of establishments in Western Visayas, whose economy mainly relies on tourism, have been affected by the lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Tourism is one of our main drivers here. So, a lot of establishments had to close when community quarantines were implemented," she said, adding that DOLE assisted those workers who lost their jobs and had to adjust to flexible work arrangements, which reduced their income.

Meanwhile, under the Abot Kamay ang Pagtulong (AKAP) program, DOLE 6 was able to pay at least P10 million in assistance to more than 10,000 displaced OFWs.

AKAP is a one-time emergency cash aid of $200 or P10,000 for OFWs who are displaced by the pandemic.

Western Visayas, which is among the areas with highest number of OFWS, has more than 15,000 OFWS who had lost their jobs or were affected by COVID-19, Sabrido said.

Of this number, 11,531 are from Panay while 4,018 are from Negros Occidental.

She added that based on the reports of companies in the region, there were 2,922 displaced workers in the region.

In Eastern Visayas, DOLE was able to pay P64.5 million to aid the 12,900 private sector workers under the CAMP program.

The agency also paid P51.187 million for 15,750 individuals who availed of the agency's Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers Barangay Ko Bahay Ko (TUPAD-BKBK) program.

Likewise, DOLE P17.65 million assistance under the AKAP program for 1,765 displaced overseas Filipino workers from Region 8. (JBG-PIA6/With report from OPAV)