The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Regional Office No. 6 released a total of PhP427,585,329.40 in emergency employment assistance to vulnerable workers for the first six months of this year via the Tulong Pangkabuhayan sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD).
TUPAD, the department’s flagship employment program, benefitted a total of 95, 261 displaced and informal workers from the different local government units of Western Visayas.
The program provided a minimum of 10 to a maximum of 15 days emergency employment for vulnerable workers who render community service such as repair, maintenance, and/or improvement of common public facilities and infrastructure such as schools and health centers, debris clearing, de-clogging of canals, debris segregation and materials recovery, stockpiling and clearing.
In some areas the workers helped in the repair, maintenance and/or rehabilitation of farm-to-market roads, bridges, post-harvest facilities, public markets and common service facilities such as production and display centers and fish ports.
“We maximize our efforts in reaching the most number of informal workers across the region,” said Atty. Sixto T. Rodriguez, Jr., DOLE RO 6 Regional Director who continuously pushes to fast track the processing of the assistance to the marginalized sector in the metropolis and the rural areas.
“Reaching the far-flung barangays is our way of bringing the government services closer to the people and in carrying out our mandate to look after for the welfare of the workers especially the affected, marginalized and the vulnerable ones.”
Of the utilized TUPAD funds, Php196, 064, 227.34 were paid to 36, 405 beneficiaries from the City of Iloilo and the different municipalities of Iloilo Province which has the highest number of beneficiaries.
TUPAD also served 29, 042 vulnerable workers in Negros Occidental and capital Bacolod City with Php115, 892, 334 for wages, PPEs and insurance coverage.
In the province of Capiz, 11,991 informal workers benefitted from a Php37, 102, 838 TUPAD package. DOLE RO 6 through its Antique Field Office also released a total of Php39, 897, 356 for 10,005 beneficiaries in the province.
The 4, 567 beneficiaries from the province of Aklan and the 3,251 from Guimaras also received their Php19, 753, 030 and Php9,852,155.08 wages and other benefits, respectively. The Regional Office also disbursed Php41, 326, 193 for the beneficiaries of other accredited partners through the different field offices.
RD Rodriguez said that the Regional Office and its field offices will continue providing emergency employment assistance to more beneficiaries for the remaining months of TUPAD implementation for the current year. (JPM)
