BONTOC, Mountain Province – Concerned sectors in the different parts of the province are now making a comparison on the long-term benefits of the government’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers Program (TUPAD) and a privately initiated jobs fair dubbed Jobs, Jobs, Jobs, Join Us for Progress that had been going on for three years now.
TUPAD is a temporary stop gap program of the national government to give financial assistance to the vulnerable and marginalized sectors while the Jobs, Jobs, Jobs is a private initiative to help graduates get jobs after their training with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), K-12, Alternative Learning System (ALs) and technical-vocational institutions.
TUPAD is a dole out while the jobs fair linked with a private company, Philippine Human Resource Global Information Center (PHGIC), TESDA and tech-voc institutions for a partnership in providing opportunities for graduates to land gainful employment in Japan.
Beneficiaries of the TUPAD are required to clean roads, backyards, waterways, among others for 10-15 days with a compensation of between P5,000 – P5,250 depending on the prevailing minimum wage in the province or region, while under the Jobs, Jobs, Jobs, trained farmers, gardeners, dairy farmers, wielders, carpenters, auto-mechanics, electricians, tile setters, caregivers among others will have a chance to work in Japan for 3 to 5 years or even up to 10 years with a monthly salary of between P40,000 to P110,000.
Moreover, the TUPAD is for emergency employment of the displaced workers during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and that it is an initiative of the national government covering the whole country, while the said jobs fair will guarantee long-term employment and opportunities to be gainfully employed as their skills are in demand in the globally.
According to the comparative table of the said programs, TUPAD will be exist as long as there are available funds for the said purpose, while the jobs fair will remain a private initiative of the Dominguez family to help the people which will continue as long as there are trained job-seekers in relevant trades, especially the graduates of various technical-vocational programs.
Sources, who requested anonymity for personal reasons, challenged the people of the province to be circumspect in coming out with their decisions on what programs, projects, activities and advocacies to appreciate so that they will be properly guided in selecting the future leaders who can help bring Mountain Province to greater heights amidst the heavy impact inflicted of the COVID-19 pandemic over 2 years now.
While the financial assistance given to the vulnerable and marginalized sectors through the TUPAD had been instrumental in providing temporary relief to the people, the sources emphasized it should not stop there, but there should be continuity in re-tooling the people for them to acquire the appropriate skills to have long-term jobs.
