Myrna Mamuco is 54-year-old survivor of breast cancer from Caloocan City. She was a patient of Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital and Sanitarium (DJNRMHS) known as the Tala Hospital.
After undergoing breast cancer surgery in October 2022, Myrna was forced to quit her job as a factory worker to focus on receiving chemotherapy treatment which lasted until September 2023.
Now that she is cancer-free, Myrna sets her sights on an employment opportunity to get her life back on a meaningful track.
Myrna’s story to renewed hope
The stage 3 breast cancer diagnosis took a serious toll on Myrna’s mental health. It felt like having to face a death sentence in a blink of an eye.
“Noon nung nalaman ko, hindi ko matanggap. Na-depress ako. Hindi ako lumalabas ng bahay (When I found out, I can’t accept it. I was depressed. I can’t even go outside),” Myrna said during an interview.
However, meeting other cancer patients gave Myrna hope to cope with the disease.
“Nung nagpapa-check up ako dito, na-meet ko ‘yung mga nauna sa akin na magpa-chemo. Doon ko na-realize niya na marami palang katulad sa akin na mas matanda pa sa akin na malalakas sila. Kaya doon ko na-realize na kung kaya nila, kaya ko rin,” she narrated.
[During my check-ups here (in Tala Hospital), I was able to meet other cancer patients who were already receiving chemotherapy treatment before me. That’s when I realized that there are other people who have the same disease, even older, and they are strong. I thought that if they can cope with it, I can, too.]
A significant part of Myrna’s vision of a meaningful “life after cancer” is to be able to work again in order to help provide the basic needs of her family and support her medications.
Through the convergence efforts of the Multi-Sector Governance Council (MSGC) of the Tala Hospital, this vision becomes a reality.
Integrating inclusivity in the TUPAD program
Myrna is one of the first 50 beneficiaries of the localized implementation of TUPAD in the Tala Hospital. She is joined by families of dialysis patients, mental health patients, as well as families of persons with disabilities (PWDs) who are also seeking employment opportunities for livelihood.
“Napakasaya ko kasi nabigyan po ako ng pagkakataon na makasama po dito sa TUPAD. Nakapalaking tulong po nito sa akin lalo na sa mga pang-maintenance ko po, sa mga gamot,” said Myrna.
(I am happy because I was given the opportunity to be part of the TUPAD. This is a huge help to me, especially in supporting my maintenance medications.)
The TUPAD or the “Tulong Panghanapbuhay para sa Ating Displaced/Disadvantaged Workers” program offers emergency employment assistance to displaced workers. Its usual program of work includes cleaning and clearing operations as well as other community service projects.
With the goal of integrating inclusivity and sustainability in the implementation of the employment assistance, the Department of Labor and Employment – National Capital Region (DOLE-NCR) CAMANAVA Field Office has enabled the inclusion of urban gardening as part of the TUPAD’s improved program of work among the beneficiaries in Tala hospital.
“It is not just an emergency employment but trying to find how, through TUPAD, communities can also benefit,” said DOLE-NCR CAMANAVA Field Office Director Rowella V. Grande.
“It’s a first and I hope it becomes a model,” she added, highlighting that learning urban gardening can also be income-generating on the part of the beneficiaries even after their TUPAD employment. It also aligns with the food security initiatives of the government.
Meanwhile, the Tala Hospital is also targeting to provide other learning opportunities for the TUPAD beneficiaries during their employment. These include knowledge-sharing sessions about proper recycling, preparation of nutritious food, and other topics in relation to circular economy.
This initiative aims to build the capacity of beneficiaries in establishing sustainable livelihood for themselves and their families.
Related Story:
DOLE to implement TUPAD among PWDs, vulnerable groups
The deployment of the first 50 beneficiaries will start on July 20 until August 13, 2024. They are entitled to P645 daily minimum wage which they will receive upon the completion of their 20-day contract in TUPAD.
The rollout of the TUPAD program in Tala Hospital will be done in three batches from July to September 2024, benefitting 150 beneficiaries in total. They will play a vital role in the advancement of the hospital’s National Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Program (NUPAP) in close collaboration with the Department of Agriculture (DA).
Meanwhile, some 51 beneficiaries in Livelihood, Education, and Rehabilitation Center (LERC) Caloocan were also provided with TUPAD employment assistance for 10 days. They are composed of PWDs and families of children with disabilities who will be assigned in carpentry and construction works for the improvement of LERC’s vertical gardening facilities in partnership with the MSGC.
The MSGC, headed by Philippine Information Agency-National Capital Region (PIA-NCR) Regional Director Emver P. Cortez, is composed of member-representatives from the DOLE, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and civil society organizations (CSOs) such as LERC Caloocan.
One of its primary thrusts is to foster economic empowerment and community engagement among vulnerable groups in communities towards the establishment of an inclusive development.
This multisectoral effort is a testament to the overarching significance of whole-of-society and whole-of-government approach in paving the way for a social change that is characterized by collaboration and mutual growth. (JMP/PIA-NCR)
