FAQS on DOLE CAMP (COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program)

The COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP) is a one-time financial assistance of P5,000 from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for private-sector workers who had salary deductions or temporary suspensions during the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) period in the Philippines due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Who is eligible to receive CAMP?

Workers in the private sector whose companies adopted Flexible Working Arrangements (FWA), regardless of employment status (regular, probationary or contractual). 

I work for a large company, am I still eligible?

YES, you are still eligible to receive CAMP. But DOLE will prioritize those employed by micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that were affected or temporarily suspended during the ECQ period. 

I was not placed on forced leave without pay, I only had a salary deduction because of Flexible Work Arrangement (FWA). Am I still eligible?

YES, so long as the company adopted FWA, resulting in a reduction of your salary, you are still eligible to receive CAMP.  

What does FWA mean?

FWA or Flexible Work Arrangement can be any of the following:

• Reduced number of working hours or days
• Work Rotation
• Work from Home
• Forced Leave
• Other alternative FWAs that employers can implement

I have exhausted all my leave credits and I’m on a “No Work, No Pay” work arrangement, am I still eligible?

YES, you are still eligible to receive CAMP. You must notify your employer to apply on your behalf. 

I’m under quarantine but the company I’m working for is still operating. Am I still eligible? 

YES, you are still eligible to receive CAMP. Employees who were not able to go to work because they were abiding by COVID-19 health protocols from the Department of Health (DOH) are still qualified to receive the P5,000 financial aid.  

I’m only employed for one month. Am I still eligible?

YES, you are still eligible to receive CAMP. As such, your employer must include your payroll account on their requirements for submission to DOLE. 

My salary is above the minimum wage. Am I still eligible?

YES, you are still eligible to receive CAMP. As long as your employer declared temporary suspension or implemented FWA due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

I received my 13th month pay in advance, am I still eligible?

YES, you are still eligible to receive CAMP. The 13th month pay is a mandatory benefit and not considered a supplement for lost income due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Our head office is based in Metro Manila but we have branch offices in Visayas/Mindanao, are we still eligible?

YES, you are still eligible to receive CAMP. Your branch office in Visayas/Mindanao should apply on your behalf to your respective DOLE regional or provincial office. 

Is there a limit on the number of employees who are eligible for CAMP?

NO, there is no limit on the number of employees who are qualified to receive CAMP. All eligible employees will be able to receive the one-time P5,000 financial aid after approval of application. 

I’m on maternity leave, am I still eligible?

NO, you are not eligible to receive CAMP. Your leave benefits are already paid in full and you were not forced to use your leave credits because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

I’m on an FWA but still receive full salary, am I still eligible?

NO, you are not eligible to receive CAMP. Only those with salary deduction or lost income are qualified for the P5,000 financial aid. 

Who else is not eligible to receive CAMP?

Government employees are not qualified to receive CAMP. 

Who must apply for CAMP, the employer or employee?

Employees need not apply individually. The employers are obliged to apply for CAMP and submit requirements on behalf of their employees. 

What are the requirements for applying for CAMP?

Employers must submit the following requirements to DOLE:

• Establishment report on the COVID-19 according to Labor Advisory No. 9 Series of 2020 to inform DOLE of what Flexible Work Arrangements (FWA) the company adopted during the quarantine
• Company payroll for the month before the implementation of FWA or temporary closure

On the Establishment Report form, is the employer required to specify if the employees’ salaries are on a daily or monthly basis? What if the salaries are on a weekly basis?

The employer should indicate in the form that their employees’ salaries are issued on a weekly basis. 

Our employer will not be able to submit company payroll, can they submit payslips instead?

YES, your employer can submit payslips in lieu of the company payroll. 

Where should the documentary requirements be submitted?

The documents must be submitted online to your respective DOLE regional or provincial office for proper evaluation.  

How long will the P5,000 financial aid be processed after submission of requirements?

Upon approval, CAMP financial assistance will be distributed by the respective DOLE offices to the beneficiaries’ payroll via bank transfer within two weeks. The employer must submit a notice to DOLE once this is completed. 

Is there a chance the application will be denied?

Applications may be denied due to ineligibility, misrepresentation of facts or submission of falsified or tampered documents. DOLE has wide latitude and discretion in terms of the grant and denial of the applications.

How will I know if the application is approved or denied?

DOLE will send an approval or denial notice after three working days from receipt of the application. 

Is there a deadline for applying for CAMP?

As of the writing of this article, DOLE has not specified a deadline on the application for CAMP. DOLE is urging employers to submit applications and requirements as early as possible so their employees will be able to receive the P5,000 financial aid the soonest. 

I don’t have a bank account, how will I receive the P5,000 assistance?

DOLE will transfer the financial aid to the employee through money remittance centers such as MLhuillier, Cebuana Lhuillier, Palawan Express, etc. 

Will employers be required to pay the P5,000 financial aid after the COVID-19 pandemic is over? As such, will it be deducted from my salary?

NO, CAMP is not a loan/cash advance program and will not be deducted from an employee’s salary after the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a government cash grant administered through DOLE. 

Our employer is not interested in applying for CAMP, what should we do?

Unfortunately, DOLE cannot force eligible companies to apply for CAMP. Since company payroll is among the requirements, employees do not have the prerogative to apply on their own. Only employers can apply for CAMP. 

However, if you want to notify DOLE that your employer is not interested in applying for CAMP, you must submit your company details to your respective DOLE regional or provincial office so they can persuade your employer to apply. 

Will employees be notified if the application was approved?

YES, DOLE will send a Notice of Approval to your employer if the application was successful. DOLE will also post a Notice of Completion on their Facebook page, DOLEX COVID Assistance, to inform you that the financial aid is ready for claiming through money remittance. 

Is CAMP only for private employees? Are drivers, ambulant vendors, marginalized farmers and fisherfolks, as well as others with no employers or belonging to the informal sector eligible to receive CAMP?

CAMP is only granted to salaried private sector workers who have employer-employee relationships. The DOLE cash grant dedicated to those in the informal sector is the TUPAD (Tulong Pangkabuhayan sa Displaced/Underprivileged Workers). It provides temporary wages for underemployed, self-employed, and displaced/marginalized workers who have lost their livelihood or whose earnings were affected by the ECQ. 

Are construction workers who lost their income because of temporary closure eligible to receive CAMP?

YES, if the construction worker was actively employed or had an ongoing contract with their employer before the ECQ was implemented, they are eligible to receive CAMP.

Is top management also eligible to receive CAMP?

While DOLE does not necessarily exclude top management, the rationale behind CAMP is to provide financial aid to those who are in more compromised positions.

Since CAMP became effective on March 21, 2020, what will happen on the days that employees were already suspended from work (covering March 16-20) but the financial aid was not yet declared? Are those days paid? If not, can they be charged from the leave credits?

According to DOLE, the employees need to use all their leave credits first before they can go on forced leave without pay. 

I was not able to work on the first two weeks of the ECQ. But in the third week, I was able to work from home, am I still eligible to receive CAMP?

Yes, so long as there has been a reduction in your pay, or you were forced to go on leave without pay.