TUPAD PAYOUT. Department of Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III ( 2nd from left), talks to one of the beneficiaries of the Balik Pinas, Balik Hanapbuhay (BPBH) Program in Brgy. Pagal, San Carlos City, Pangasinan on Saturday (Nov. 28, 2020). DOLE distributed checks to BPBH beneficiaries alongside the distribution of salary to 847 informal workers in San Carlos City who benefited from the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD). (Photo courtesy of Alexander James Navarro of Aksyon Radyo Pangasinan)
MANILA – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Saturday distributed cash assistance to residents of two areas in Pangasinan that were affected by coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic and typhoons Rolly and Ulysses.
DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III led the giving out of cash aid to the beneficiaries of the emergency employment assistance under Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) in the San Carlos City and Rosales.
Bello said the government is always ready in assisting and helping the Filipino people especially those who are most in need.
He added that President Rodrigo Duterte wanted to let the people know that the government is always at their side even in the most trying times such as the pandemic.
In an interview, the supervising labor and employment officer for Central Pangasinan, Agnes Aguinaldo said each of the beneficiaries was paid initially with PHP4,080 of their PHP5,440 salaries.
“The remaining PHP1,360 balance will be paid next week,” she said during the payout held at the Barangay Pagal covered court in San Carlos.
Aguinaldo said beneficiaries worked for four hours daily in 16 days from Nov. 13 to Nov. 28, and were paid PHP340 per day based on the prescribed minimum wage rate in the Ilocos Region.
The work of the beneficiaries ranged from disinfecting their barangays, cleaning their surroundings, repairing their homes, parks, schools, and other tasks ordered by their village chiefs, she said, adding that DOLE provided them with face masks and face shields to protect them from the dreaded coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
"Ngayon lang ako nakatanggap ng ayuda (mula sa gobyerno) at gagamitin ko ito para ipambili ng bigas para sa pamilya ko at iba pang gamit sa bahay. (It’s my first time to receive such government aid and I will use this to buy rice for my family and other essential needs at home),” said Jobert Posadas, one of the beneficiaries from Barangay Abanon.
For San Carlos, some 847 informal sector workers initially benefitted under the program.
“We continue to provide emergency employment assistance as ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte to those who lost their jobs or those who have yet to report to work due to Covid 19, and the two typhoons that hit the province,” Bello said in a radio interview.
“In San Carlos, our target beneficiaries is 5,000. It’s different from the target number of beneficiaries in Rosales,” the DOLE chief added.
Bello said the deadline set for them to assist these workers is on December 10.
“We have to give the cash assistance to all those affected before Christmas. We were given until December 10 for the money to be distributed to the beneficiaries,” he added.
Under TUPAD, informal sector workers will be employed for a maximum of two weeks by helping in the cleaning and restoration efforts of areas affected by the natural calamities
Beneficiaries will be paid the minimum wage in their respective areas.
The program has an allocation of PHP6 billion under the Bayanihan 2 or Bayanihan to Recover as One.
Meanwhile, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) also distributed checks to 16 displaced overseas Filipino workers (OFW) under the DOLE-OWWA AKAP program and some 20 beneficiaries of Balik Pinas, Balik Hanapbuhay also received checks amounting to up to PHP20,000.
OWWA chief Hans Leo Cadac, DOLE-Region 1 director Nathaniel Lacambra, other undersecretaries of the government, Movie and Television Review and Classification Board chairperson Rachel Arenas, San Carlos City Secretary to the Mayor Jhuliano Nazareno were also present during the event. (PNA)
