WOMEN POWER. Department of Labor and Employment in Bicol spokesperson Johanna Vi Gasga (right) in a radio interview on Friday (March 18, 2022) said out of 145,764 TUPAD beneficiaries, 57,657 were women coming from the informal sector in the region. The TUPAD is a community-based package of assistance that provides emergency employment to displaced workers, underemployed and seasonal workers. (Screengrab via Zoom)
LEGAZPI CITY – At least 57,657 women have been employed through the government's Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers program (TUPAD) in 2021 amid the pandemic, an official from the Department of Labor and Employment in Bicol (DOLE-5) said on Friday.
DOLE-5 spokesperson Johanna Vi Gasga, in a radio interview, said out of 145,764 TUPAD beneficiaries, 57,657 were women coming from the informal sector in the region.
"Sila po ay nabigyan ng pagkakataong magtrabaho ng sampung (10) araw ng paglilinis sa kanilang mga barangay o lugar (They have given the chance to have a job for 10 days through cleaning in their respective barangay or to their location)," she said.
TUPAD is a community-based package of assistance that provides emergency employment to displaced workers, underemployed and seasonal workers, for a minimum of 10 days, but not exceeding a maximum of 30 days, depending on the nature of work to be performed.
Meanwhile, Rachelle Joy David, 28, a TUPAD beneficiary from Legazpi City, said the program provided her with the capital for her business.
"Nagamit ko po yung pera sa pamumuhunan dahil nagtitinda po ako ng lugaw at lumpia sa aming barangay, kaya napalaki po ng tulong sa akin ng TUPAD program (I used the money for my porridge business that is why the TUPAD program is a huge help for me)," David said.
Mary Rose Bahia, 29, from Legazpi City, is thankful for the PHP4,650 government assistance she received.
"Naidagdag ko [su sweldo] sa pang budget sa laog kan arong, (I added it [the money I received] to our household budget)," Bahia said. (With reports from Bernadine Carretas/PNA-OJT)
