TACLOBAN CITY (PIA) — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Eastern Visayas has already released a total of P754,948,866.25 to 269,788 beneficiaries of the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program in the region from January to September this year, the DOLE Regional Office 8 official said on Tuesday.
During the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas, Lawyer Cecilio Baleña, head of the Arbitration-Mediation and Legal Service Unit of DOLE-8, said the total budget allocation for Region 8 this year is P1.882 billion, which is expected to increase next year.
“Ini nga program (TUPAD), baga ini hin temporary employment nga pagswesweldohi hiton aton mga beneficiaries hin minimum wage, it ranges from 10 days to 15 days nga pagtrinabaho nira,” Baleña said.
(This program is a temporary employment such that when beneficiaries receive the minimum wage, it ranges from 10 to 15 days of their work.)
Michael Traya, 27, a TUPAD beneficiary from Brgy. Burak, Tolosa, Leyte, was grateful for this program of the government as it helped alleviate financial burden of their family.
“The financial support I received for our work in the community allowed me to purchase essential items for my family,” she said.
Last year, DOLE-8 released a total of P1.123 billion to 235,853 TUPAD beneficiaries in the region, Baleña said.
The TUPAD program is a community-based safety net initiative that provides temporary employment to workers in the informal sector who do not receive sufficient wages or have lost their jobs due to the pandemic.
The program is implemented in two modes: either directly by DOLE or through co-partnerships with local government units.
In cases where the program is implemented through co-partnerships, a representative of DOLE must be present during payouts. (CBA, PIA Eastern Visayas)
