Subsidy for BARMM workers burdened by fuel crisis mulled

COTABATO CITY — Officials of the Bangsamoro Labor ministry have recommended the allocation of P1.4 billion to support workers in the autonomous region for six months, in a bid to ease their burdens caused by the fuel crisis driven by the conflict in the Middle East.

The proposed Formal Workers Cash Subsidy, drafted by officials of the Ministry of Labor and Employment-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MoLE-BARMM), was endorsed to top regional officials and members of the 80-seat regional parliament in Cotabato City for approval.

Minister Muslimin G. Sema explained to reporters, during a dialogue on Tuesday, that if approved, the ministry will provide a P5,000 subsidy from June to December this year to each of the 36,242 minimum wage earners working for firms duly registered with the MoLE-BARMM.

“We ought to help them get through the difficulties brought about by the spiraling costs of fuel plaguing the autonomous region,” Mr. Sema told reporters.

Mr. Sema said they are optimistic that top officials of the BARMM government will approve their request for allocation, from the region’s coffer, of P1.4 billion for the Formal Workers Cash Subsidy.

Mr. Sema and other MoLE-BARMM officials, among them their consultant for special programs, Lito Coloso, separately told reporters that they have a validated list of prospective beneficiaries of the proposed six-month Formal Workers Cash Subsidy, obtained from official personnel records of employers and establishments registered with their ministry. — John Felix M. Unson