Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III (File photo)
MANILA – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) disbursed a total of PHP44 million in wages in Ilocos Region under its flagship employment program.
A total of 12,386 displaced and disadvantaged workers in the informal sector benefitted from the department’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/ Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program in the January to March period.
“TUPAD has become a very important financial safety net for many of our informal workers. We are grateful to have been part of a program that has recreated jobs and provided a respite for those most affected by the pandemic,” Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said in a statement on Sunday.
The workers rendered various community work that include cleaning and disinfection, and greening and tree-planting activities. These projects were undertaken in the beneficiaries’ respective barangays for a period of 10 to 15 days. They received salaries that ranged between PHP3,400 to PHP5,100 per person.
Of the total beneficiaries, 1,198 were from Ilocos Norte; 1,276 from Ilocos Sur; 944 from La Union; 951 from Pangasinan’s Districts 1-2; 4,925 from Districts 3-4 of Pangasinan; and 3,092 from Pangasinan’s Districts 5-6.
Lawyer Evelyn Ramos, DOLE RO1 regional director, said DOLE continues to implement the TUPAD as it has been exempted from the election ban by the Commission on Elections.
“Secretary Bello underscored that these DOLE programs are demand-driven and have continuously served the marginalized, vulnerable, and under-privileged beneficiaries/ workers for decades, hence their exemption from the ban,” Ramos said.
She added that the regional office will continue to implement TUPAD in the coming months, but safety measures are in place to ensure the program remains non-partisan. (PR)
