The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has vowed to provide emergency employment to some 25,000 informal sector workers affected by Typhoon “Odette” which ravaged provinces in the Visayas and Mindanao last week.
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the Department has allocated P100 million for the flagship cash-for-work Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced (TUPAD) Workers to hardest-hit regions including Western, Central, and Eastern Visayas; Northern Mindanao; and Caraga.
According to Bello, each region will receive P20 million for the emergency employment of 5,000 beneficiaries.
“Workers, particularly those in the informal sector, will be given emergency employment for 10 days. They will help in clearing, de-clogging of canals, debris segregation, materials recovery, and other activities needed in the rehabilitation of their communities. Through this engagement, they will not only earn money but also help rebuild their lives and locality,” Bello said.
To determine the eligible beneficiaries, Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns Director Ma. Karina Perida-Trayvilla said the DOLE will be profiling those affected by the calamity.
“The TUPAD program is institutionalized. This is what we implement every time there is a calamity, typhoon, and disasters, including man-made calamities. We will profile those affected by the calamity, particularly our informal sector workers,”Trayvilla noted.
Meanwhile, Bello emphasized that the agency has been intensifying the implementation of its emergency employment program amid the pandemic, as well as devastation caused by calamities.
“TUPAD is a significant amelioration program. Every time we attend pay-out ceremonies, I can see the happiness and pride in our beneficiaries. Because these are not dole outs, these are jobs that we provide them,” Bello explained.
TUPAD is a community-based amelioration program that provides emergency employment for displaced, underemployed, and seasonal workers for a minimum period of 10 days to a maximum of 30 days, depending on the nature of work to be performed.
The salary of beneficiaries is based on the prevailing minimum wage in the region and is coursed through a money remittance service provider.