EMERGENCY EMPLOYMENT. Beneficiaries of the emergency employment program conduct an environmental cleanup in the Municipality of Belison in 2023. Over 32,000 residents of Antique benefitted from the program last year. (Photo courtesy of Belison LGU)
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) provided emergency employment to 32,211 families and livelihood assistance to 112 parents of child laborers in Antique in 2023.
DOLE Antique officer-in-charge Ma. Cecilia S. Acebuque said in an interview Friday that they provided livelihood assistance and emergency employment as part of their strengthened program on social protection for vulnerable workers.
“There were 112 child laborers whose parents were extended with livelihood assistance so they could provide the school needs of their children,” she said.
The department allocated PHP2.4 million for their identified livelihood projects, such as sari-sari stores and cattle-raising.
DOLE profiled 42 child laborers in the municipality of Culasi, 20 each in San Remigio and Bugasong, 12 in Tibiao, 10 from Laua-an, five in San Jose, and three in Patnongon helping their parents in farming, fishing, and construction works.
DOLE also allocated over PHP157.6 million for the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) last year benefitting 32,211 Antiqueños.
“The TUPAD workers do various works such as coastal and highway cleanup, community gardening, and tree planting,” she said.
TUPAD beneficiaries included residents of the island Municipality of Caluya displaced by the oil spill in February.
The DOLE official said they hope to get a bigger budget this year for more parents of child laborers and TUPAD beneficiaries to avail of their programs. (PNA)
