BAGUIO CITY – The Department of Labor and Employment – through its Baguio – Benguet Field Office concluded the first part of Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/ Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program payout to ninety-seven (97) insular prisoners or persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), Fort Del Pilar, Baguio City on 06 June 2024.
The TUPAD payout covers the first half of the 30-day work program running from May to June 2024, during which the beneficiaries engaged in cleaning and clearing activities within the academy’s premises..
DOLE Cordillera Regional Director Nathaniel V. Lacambra, CESO III, emphasized to the beneficiaries that the government will provide assistance regardless of your status, and that every individual is worth the second chance.
The TUPAD wages could be used to support the PDLs’ loved ones or serve as their initial personal investment upon their eventual release.
In collaboration with representatives from civic service organizations such as the Rotary Club of Baguio Summer Capital President Roland Wong and 2024 Regional Vice President Rhescien Ballitoc-Vicente of the JCI – Baguio Sunflower, additional assistance in the form of food items, hygiene kits, and extra clothing were given to the PDLs.
The TUPAD program of the DOLE is designed to provide emergency employment for displaced, disadvantaged, and seasonal workers. It is a short-term community-based work which usually lasts for 10-30 days.
Tasks may include social community projects such as road repair, declogging of canals, or economic community projects like repair of public markets, and agro-forestry community projects including tree planting activities.
TUPAD aims to mitigate the economic impact on vulnerable sectors by providing temporary wage employment and promoting self-reliance through sustainable livelihood programs.
The worker-beneficiaries stated their gratitude for the unexpected assistance they received, signifying that they will be prudent in the use of their wages. By Daryll Ponard with initial report from DOLE-BBFO
