City of Dreams extends aid to workers

MANILA, Philippines — In the continuing battle against the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 pandemic and the extension of the enhanced community quarantine on Metro Manila, City of Dreams Manila has announced granting a 100 percent month’s basic pay (not including fixed allowances) to non-management colleagues effective May 4 as they exhaust their leave balances and are not able to work due to the present quarantine. The added benefit will be in the form of new paid leaves in accordance with internal measures.

In caring for its over 6,000 colleagues, the management team has also volunteered a pay cut as of mid-April.

“These are measures that Melco and its management team are undertaking to help ease the burden on our colleagues whose well-being is of paramount importance,” says City of Dreams Manila chief operating officer Kevin Benning.

The announcement follows the earlier response of the integrated resort to the government’s call on the private sector in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the support of PAGCOR, the resort has donated P120 million worth of relief goods for those most vulnerable, thru the Office of the President. To support Parañaque, it is donating P30 million for relief goods plus other health undertakings, including free bus shuttle for Parañaque frontliners equivalent to a running cost of about P3.2 million to date. The resort has also been providing meal packs daily since April to a cost of about P1.9 million to front liners in UP-PGH, Makati Medical Center and San Juan de Dios Hospital, and has donated PPEs and hygiene items to East Avenue Medical Center, linens and masks to the National Center for Mental Health, to name some of the beneficiaries.