MALAYBALAY CITY (PIA)–The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)-X joined the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF) to help the 9,246 disadvantaged informal sector and intern workers of the province on November 11-12, 2023 at Bukidnon State University (BukSU), Malaybalay City.
Lawyer Erwin N. Aquino, DOLE-X regional director, spearheaded the disbursement for thousands of Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program beneficiaries as a segment of the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair. The event involved over 50 government agencies providing 176 services and interventions, benefitting more than 100,000 constituents in the province.
“This is the brand of governance and leadership of our dear President. Our focus is to enhance accessibility, bring the services closer to all corners of our country,” Aquino said.
The TUPAD program disbursed wages to 2,845 beneficiaries on the first day of the Serbisyo Fair at BukSU main campus, and 1,372 more beneficiaries received their wages offsite.
On the second day, 2,123 beneficiaries attended the TUPAD orientation onsite, while 1,280 others participated in a separate venue. It expands the program’s reach throughout the province.
The TUPAD program provides much-needed assistance to disadvantaged and displaced workers in Bukidnon. It aims to improve the quality of workers’ physical living conditions while contributing to the communities’ welfare, which provides emergency employment for displaced, underemployed, and seasonal workers.
The DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP) also awarded grants to 1,442 informal workers in the province, demonstrating the department’s commitment to empowering the workforce through long-term livelihood opportunities.
Additionally, 184 Government Internship Program (GIP) beneficiaries received stipends during the event, highlighting the government’s support for skill development and employment opportunities.
Representing Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma in giving out DOLE’s aid during the services caravan are Undersecretaries Benjo Santos Benavidez of Workers’ Welfare and Protection Cluster and Felipe Egargo of Legislative Liaison, Legal Affairs, and General Administration Clusters.
BPSF is one of the flagship projects of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., which offers free to minimal payment for an overarching set of services from health, social protection, agricultural, livelihood, educational, regulatory, legal, and financial aid, among others.
During the coordination meeting before the largest services fair unfolded here, DOLE-X thanked its partners for ensuring the efficient implementation of TUPAD and other DOLE programs and services in the province, reassuring its continued support for inclusive growth.
Bukidnon’s 2nd District Representative Jonathan Keith Flores hosted the BPSF Bukidnon leg–the 2nd in Mindanao island.
He said the BPSF was launched simultaneously in Camarines Sur, Laoag in Ilocos Norte, Tolosa in Leyte, and Monkayo in Davao de Oro on September 23 and 24 of this year.
This November, he said the Serbisyo Fair visits four other provinces—Laguna, Bukidnon, Iloilo, and Isabela.
The province’s biggest event aligns with the directives outlined in Memorandum Circular No. 24, which advocates ‘Bagong Pilipinas’ as the government’s brand of governance and leadership. This initiative symbolizes a unified effort towards a comprehensive and transformative policy reform within the government.
The BPSF service caravan shows the government’s dedication to uplifting communities by providing essential services and aid to Filipinos. It serves as a platform for empowerment and development, helping to build a progressive and inclusive Philippines.
(RLT/KCP/DOLE 10-BukPFO/PIA 10/Bukidnon)
A TUPAD (Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced workers) beneficiary (leftmost) gets her priority number from Undersecretary Benjo Santos Benavidez during the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair on November 11-12 at Bukidnon State University, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon. (Angelo Rodriguez, Jr./DOLE-X)
