The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has extended its livelihood assistance programs for needy workers in areas of Pangasinan who have been affected by the pandemic.
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III went to Dagupan City and Lingayen on Friday, Oct. 16, to lead the distribution of the Department's key assistance programs there, including its flagship Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers or TUPAD.
"This part of the province may have been spared by the heavy effect of the recent typhoon that passed northern Luzon, but it was never missed by DOLE’s support," Bello said.
" to reassure our workers in the provinces that our assistance is not only for workers in Metro Manila but to all Filipino workers," he added.
More than P6.2 million in TUPAD payouts were distributed to almost 2,000 beneficiaries from Dagupan and Lingayen, while 40 beneficiaries from Infanta town were given livelihood assistance worth at least P800,000 for the purchase of motorized fishing boats.
At least 30 overseas Filipino workers there also received P400,000 in checks under the "Balik Pinas, Balik Hanapbuhay" and "Project Ease" of Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
Aside from the payouts, among the highlights of the activities in Pangasinan is the continued rollout of the vaccination program for construction and manufacturing workers led by DOLE.
The Department's inoculation program aims to vaccinate one million Filipino workers from the economic sector of the country as part of efforts to revive the economy amid the pandemic.
According to DOLE, a total of 1,000 construction workers from Pangasinan were vaccinated in the Lingayen Training Facility through its partnership with the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP).
Bello also awarded the "Safety Seal" certification to companies in the province that have been compliant with the safety and health standards of the government.
These include Coca-Cola Beverages Inc., First Ilocandia Cable, Tara Ice Manufacturing, Excellent Clear Ice Plant Inc., Pangasinan Electric Coop, Inc., and Josefa Slipways, Inc.