CALAMBA CITY, Laguna (PIA) – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has emphasized that the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program is a government initiative being administered by DOLE, independent of any political influence or affiliations.
During the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas, DOLE Laguna Provincial Office Director Guido Recio clarifies that TUPAD is purely a DOLE initiative and is not tied to any political figures or anh other government agencies. This clarification helps maintain transparency regarding the program’s implementation.
“TUPAD is a program of the Department of Labor and Employment. That is ours, DOLE, and not from other agency or politicians,” he said.
TUPAD is a community-based program that provides temporary employment to workers who have been displaced, underemployed, or are part of vulnerable sectors affected by calamities, disasters, or economic crises that aims to provide short-term work, typically lasting 10 to 30 days, to help workers earn an income while contributing to their communities through various tasks like community clean-up, repair, and maintenance of public infrastructure.
While the TUPAD program is purely a DOLE initiative, the courtesy provided to local chief executives ensures an orderly coordination and respect for local authorities to help facilitate its implementation in various communities.
“When we go to the LGUs, we do courtesy visit to the captain, the mayor, the governor. We don’t just go to the place out of nowhere and implement the program. We have to do that as a courtesy. That’s all, and it’s their option, if they, the politicians want to show up or not,” Recio explained.
The director added, “But again we always say that TUPAD is a program of the Department of Labor and Employment,”
According to Recio, the Labor department has been closely monitoring the implementation of TUPAD to ensure that it reaches the intended and target beneficiaries
“The selection process is based on eligibility criteria established by DOLE, focusing on the most disadvantaged and displaced workers,” Recio clarified.
TUPAD program has become a vital lifeline for displaced and underemployed workers across the country, particularly in the wake of the economic challenges brought by pandemic and national disasters. Thousands of Filipinos have benefited from temporary employment opportunities provided under the program, which helps to sustain families and communities.
According to DOLE, a total of 1,073,442 individuals have benefited from the TUPAD program across the country.
The Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas is a weekly media forum program of the Philippine Information Agency, in partnership with Presidential Communications Office, which highlights the programs, projects, and policies of the national government under the Bagong Pilipinas governance agenda of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s administration. (AM/PIA 4A)
