Unemployment insurance pushed into Congress
Marikina City Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo filed for the creation of a National Unemployment Insurance Programme (NUIP) that would help Filipino workers during periods of unemployment.
Filed under House Bill No. 490, Quimbo said, “The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that workers are vulnerable to substantial reductions in income and the risk of falling into poverty. Moreover, the COVID-19 experience has shown that government dole-out programmes are an inefficient way to provide protection, especially if on a massive scale.”
She added that a Philippine Job Insurance Corp would administer the NUIP upon implementation.
According to the bill’s explanatory note, the proposed NUIP will provide financial assistance to laid-off employees to “avoid major income loss and ensure that consumption levels are not substantially reduced.”
Members of the Social Security System (SSS) and the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) will be automatically covered by the program once the country’s lawmakers approve it.
