Some one thousand one hundred-seventy one individuals from the vulnerable and marginalized sectors in the different city barangays personally received financial assistance under the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantage/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
Based on the data obtained from the city’s Public Employment and Services Office (PESO), the 1,120 beneficiaries, including some 116 night market vendors, were identified by the local government in close coordination with the barangays while the 51 recipients of the cash aid were identified by the Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association (PHILRECA) Party-list headed by Rep. Presley de Jesus in coordination with the Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO) led by newly installed General Manager Engr. Melchor S. Licoben and Member-Consumer-Owner (MCO) organizations in the different barangays.
Under the DOLE’s TUPAD program, each of the beneficiaries received P3,500 after rendering 10 days of work in their respective barangays pursuant to the Barangay Ko, Bahay Ko (BKBK) sanitation program.
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The beneficiaries that were identified by the city in close coordination with the barangays came from 54 barangays while the recipients coursed through the PHILRECA and BENECO came from 20 barangays in the city.
The enrollment of the beneficiaries under the TUPAD program is part of the overall initiative of the city government under the leadership of Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong to source out whatever available assistance from concerned government agencies that will be made available for members of the vulnerable and marginalized sectors who were heavily impacted during the implementation of the community quarantine that affected their employment and sources of livelihood.
Some P3.8 million from the TUPAD program were distributed to the 1,120 beneficiaries identified by the city while the PHILRECA Party-list provided for the funds distributed to 51 identified beneficiaries although the same was coursed through the labor department being the lead agency in the implementation of the cash aid program for disadvantaged and displaced workers.
City officials consider the night market vendors one of the heavily impacted sectors during the implementation of the community quarantine because the night market that serves as their major source of livelihood was suspended by the city government since March 10, 2020 at the height of the at the height of the wrath of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the country.
Barangay officials accompanied their identified beneficiaries during the distribution of the cash assistance at the gymnasium of the Baguio Central School last July 6 and 7, 2020 where strict physical distancing was observed by the organizers of the activity pursuant to the established national and local health and safety protocols to prevent the possible spread of the deadly virus among them.
By DEXTER A. SEE
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