SAN JOSE, Antique – The Tulong Panghanapbuhay Sa Ating Displaced/Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD) of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) will start its massive implementation in the province.
Around 16,000 Antiqueños will be given employment opportunities for a period of 30 days at P365.00/day. The program will saturate the whole province involving all 18 municipalities including the island municipality of Caluya.
A series of consultation meetings and orientations with partners from LGUs and civil society organizations were conducted by DOLE to ensure smooth and efficient implementation of the program which, for the past two (2) consecutive years, was implemented by administration in partnership with the Provincial Government of Antique.
The identified beneficiaries will work on the various agro-forestry and community projects such as coastal cleaning, tree planting, clean-up of areas prone to dengue, beautification of surroundings and repair of public facilities in their respective areas. These beneficiaries are unemployed and underemployed poor, mostly sugarcane migratory workers or sacada, displaced workers, farm laborers, indigenous people, women, seasonal workers and others from the informal sector.
Most Antiqueños are farmers and fishermen and the onset of summer, especially the El Niño phenomenon will most likely affect their livelihood. With TUPAD, they will be provided temporary employment by engaging them in short-term community work which will allow them to earn a living for the time being, to meet their family’s basic needs.
To widen this year’s implementation of TUPAD, DOLE expanded its partners from LGUs to civil society organizations and other government agencies like PNP, AFP, POPCOM and DepEd.
Before the start of their employment, beneficiaries will also be oriented about TUPAD, basic guidelines of the Department including their duties and responsibilities and the requirements to comply with. All beneficiaries will be covered by a group insurance and provided with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to ensure their health and safety. (With DOLE/PN)
