ILOILO – Some 300 informal workers in the municipality of Tubungan, Iloilo province, whose sources of income were affected by the enhanced community quarantine caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) were deemed qualified for the emergency employment program of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
According to Emelyn Estando-Tano, head of the local Public Employment Service Office, the beneficiaries – mostly drivers, conductors, tour guides and viewdeck vendors – took part in the orientation of DOLE’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantage/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program on April 4.
Under the TUPAD’s #BarangayKo, Bahay Ko Disinfection and Sanitation project, beneficiaries have been tasked to disinfect their respective homes and surroundings for 10 days starting April 6.
They will be paid P395 daily, which is in accordance with the current minimum wage rate in this region. For 10 days of work, the beneficiaries are expected to receive a total of P3,950.
Before the Tubunganon beneficiaries started working, they were strongly advised by DOLE during the orientation to always observe safety measures in a bid to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Tano said the 300 informal workers in Tubungan are the first recipients of DOLE’s Tupad project in the province of Iloilo, which is part of the assistance program of the national government while the entire country remains under public emergency due to COVID-19.(With a report from PIA/PN)
