Workers in the biodiesel industry can receive benefits - DOLE

By Wena Cruz February 12, 2023 During the campaign advocacies, the workers and management were re-oriented on SAWP and its latest updates an...

By Wena Cruz
February 12, 2023

During the campaign advocacies, the workers and management were re-oriented on SAWP and its latest updates and issuances. SAWP is a social amelioration scheme which aims to improve the socio-economic well-being of workers in the biofuel industry including their families, through augmentation of income and access to productive resources, social protection coverage, and provision of livelihood and employment opportunities. (Photo from DOLE)

LUCENA CITY - Workers in the biodiesel industry can receive benefits under the Social Amelioration and Welfare Program, according to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Quezon province (SAWP).

Kim Darren Pabilonia, SAWP Focal Person of DOLE Quezon, discussed the assistance provided by programs such as death and maternity benefits, scholarships, and livelihood projects during an information-dissemination campaign held at JNJ Oil Industries in Lucena City.



DOLE Quezon Provincial Head Edwin Hernandez stated that the advocacy campaign aims to identify the factors influencing the project.

“The amount that beneficiaries would get under the maternity and death benefit assistance is indicated in Department Order No. 225, Series of 2021. Furthermore, the provision of tools, equipment, and materials, including start-up capital, which will be granted either in working capital/cash or in kind which are considered important in the start-up, improvement, or restoration of the beneficiaries' livelihood, is also covered by this Department Order,” he said.



SAWP is a social improvement program established by RA 9367, or the Biofuels Act, that aims to improve the socioeconomic well-being of biofuel sector workers and their families by increasing their wages and providing access to productive resources, social protection coverage, and livelihood and employment opportunities.

According to DOLE Quezon, SAWP provides a P5,000 to P8,000 monthly cash subsidy to low-income families for two months, depending on where they live. During the pandemic, the subsidies enable marginalized segments of society to meet their basic needs.



Meanwhile, the implementation of SAWP has been difficult, as it is with any new program. Many LGUs have reported difficulties in compiling a list of beneficiaries and releasing cash subsidies due to a lack of funds or distribution infrastructure.

Others have criticized the speed with which the subsidies are being implemented, as well as the uncertainty surrounding who will be eligible for them and how much will be granted.