CITY OF TABUK, Kalinga(PIA)-- The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) released P1,846,420 for the payout of beneficiary-irrigators in the province under the Tulong Panghanapbuhay para sa Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD) program.

Lourdes Canseco of the DOLE provincial office said the  226 beneficiaries cleared canals, and rendered maintenance work along their irrigation systems.

They were deployed for 19 days in February until early part this month at P430 per day under the agreement entered into by the DOLE, the National Irrigation Administration, and the Federation of Irrigators Association(FIA) in the Cordillera to improve irrigation service in the region, Canseco said.

The beneficiaries are members of seven farmer-irrigators associations from the  Sosukaguma FIA, Apagsingising FIA, Catao Nambaran FIA, Obra Batinged FIA, Matagotago Tako losan FIA, Maledda Tanubong FIA and Bulo Burobor FIA.

Ferdinand Indammog, head  of the  Kalinga Irrigation Management Office, expressed the deep appreciation of farmers to the program seeing the benefit this brings to their farmlands.

The government through the TUPAD provides emergency work to informal labor sector paid based on prevailing minimum daily wage rate in the area.

The program is a government response through DOLE to help address unemployment among the country’s vulnerable sectors, Canseco explained. (JDP/LL-PIA CAR, Kalinga)