TUPAD FARMER-BENEFICIARIES. Some 149 farmers affected by the African swine fever undergo an orientation Wednesday (Nov. 9, 2022) after qualifying for the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers program of the Department of Labor and Employment. Dr. Mario Arriola, the city veterinarian, said the farmers comprise the first batch of beneficiaries of the program. (Photo courtesy of Zamboanga CIO)
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ZAMBOANGA CITY – About 149 farmers affected by the African swine fever (ASF) here have qualified to benefit from the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantage/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
Office of the City Veterinarian (OCVet) head Dr. Mario Arriola said Thursday the TUPAD beneficiaries are farmers from Barangays Mangusu and Curuan whose hogs were culled due to ASF infection.
“They comprise the first batch of beneficiaries of the TUPAD program implemented by the DOLE-9 (Zamboanga Peninsula),” Arriola said of the farmers who underwent the program orientation on Wednesday.
A total of 1,091 farmers in the city were affected by the ASF contamination.
TUPAD is a community-based package of assistance that provides emergency employment for displaced workers, underemployed and seasonal workers, for a minimum of 10 days, but not to exceed a maximum of 30 days, depending on the nature of work to be performed.
Under the program, Arriola said the qualified farmers will be undertaking cash for work and receive minimum daily wage. The work scope includes cleaning and disinfection of pig pens or community service.
The TUPAD farmer-beneficiaries will start working on Monday, Nov. 14.
Arriola said the city remains under the ASF red zone classification due to increasing infections affecting 34 of this city’s 98 barangays. (PNA)
