BONTOC, Mountain Province – The government remains committed to bringing its services and programs to the grassroots and improving the living conditions of the constituents in the municipality.
This was realized with the turnover of various livelihood project assistance to organizations and individuals, along with the payout of the beneficiaries of the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Displaced/Disadvantaged (TUPAD) workers program of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in collaboration with the Bontoc Local Government Unit (LGU) through the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) on November 4, 2024, at the Bontoc Municipal Capitol Auditorium.
Each TUPAD beneficiary received a total of ₱6,450 as compensation for 15 days of work at ₱430 per day. The TUPAD program is a community-based initiative of DOLE that provides temporary employment to individuals facing economic hardships, including displaced, underemployed, and seasonal workers. In addition to their wages, the 214 TUPAD beneficiaries received Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including one long sleeve, one bull cap, and one pair of gloves. They are also enrolled under the Group Insurance of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS). The wages, PPE and GSIS Group Insurance of the TUPAD beneficiaries are funded under the regular DOLE fund, in response to Mayor Jerome “Chagsen” Tudlong Jr.’s request. However, the funding was not downloaded to the Bontoc LGU, thus, the utilization of the fund was facilitated by the DOLE.
Meanwhile, among the livelihood kits turned over to organizations and individuals include baking tools, fertilizers, feeds, food processing equipment, and drums. These fall under the DOLE Integrated Livelihood Project (DILP), which aims to provide tools and start-up kits for the informal sector to help augment their income.
Labor and Employment Officer III Jenelyn Caluza from the Bontoc LGU explained that the starter kits turned over were part of the livelihood projects submitted and endorsed by the Bontoc LGU to the DOLE, of which some were already received by the recipients in the past months. She mentioned that a total of 14 Parent of Child Laborers (PCL) Individual Livelihood Projects, 31 Regular Individual Livelihood Projects, and two Group Livelihood Projects were submitted and endorsed by the Bontoc LGU which gained approval for funding by DOLE. Of the Regular Individual Projects, one beneficiary is listed under the Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) case in Bontoc, thus, personnel from the Philippine National Police (PNP) were also present to witness the Turnover Ceremony and to provide transportation assistance to the said recipient.
The two group projects were the MAFFIA Citrus Fruit Production, amounting to P429,676.00, and Aliwes Arabica Coffee Production in the amount of P971,756.00.
Caluza added that these strategic interventions by the DOLE and the Bontoc LGU aim to prevent and even eradicate child labor as some of the recipients are parents of child laborers. Further, the initiative seeks to empower parents of child laborers by establishing sustainable income sources, thereby lessening their dependence on their children’s labor. This program ensures that children have the opportunity to attend school and receive an education instead of being compelled to work to support their family’s basic needs. Also, these program aims to empower recipients by establishing sustainable income sources. As its counterpart, the Bontoc LGU, through the PESO, shall take charge of the skills training of the officers and members of the organization, along with the individual recipients, and conduct monitoring to ensure the sustainability of the project.
In his message, Department of Labor and Employment – Mountain Province Field Office (DOLE-MPFO) Provincial Director George Lubin, Jr., stressed the importance of community collaboration in advancing sustainable development initiatives across the province.
Likewise, he encouraged the beneficiaries to use the livelihood starter kits to generate stable income for themselves and their families.
Sangguniang Bayan member Jupiter Jule Kalangeg, who represented Mayor Tudlong, thanked the DOLE for its continuous assistance to the municipality through the implementation and funding of various DOLE Programs.
SB member Kalangeg remarked that the TUPAD program and the DILP provide more than just temporary employment; as it is a lifeline for many residents facing economic hardships.
Kalangeg added that the partnership forged between the Bontoc LGzu and the DOLE shows the power of collaboration in uplifting the lives of the constituents.
Also in attendance during the event were personnel from the Bontoc LGU – PESO, TUPAD Focal Person Mylene Palaleo, and DOLE TUPAD Coordinators. By Alpine L. Killa-Malwagay
