Labor dept distributes salaries of Cagayan ‘TUPAD’ workers

THE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) released over the weekend wages in Cagayan related to the “Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/displaced Workers (TUPAD)” program.

The labor department said on Sunday that its Regional Office II, together with the office of Congressman Joseph Lasam Lara, released “TUPAD” wages to 945 laborers in the six municipalities of the north Luzon province’s third district.

According to the government agency, the payouts were distributed at Alimannao Hills in Peñablanca, Cagayan on Friday.

Earlier, DOLE noted that 5,493 displaced workers were to receive salaries from more than P22 million in funds. These were disbursed in Tuguegarao City and the municipalities of Amulung, Iguig, Peñablanca, Enrile, and Solana.

The department noted that the TUPAD beneficiaries rendered 10 days of community work through public facilities’s clean-up and beautification in their respective barangays.

It shared that TUPAD is a community-based assistance package that provides emergency employment for displaced, underemployed and seasonal workers for a minimum period of 10 days, but not to exceed a maximum of 30 days, depending on the nature of work to be performed. DOLE described the types of projects that can be supported with such assistance, which include those for social community such as repair, maintenance, and/ or improvement of common public facilities and infrastructure such as schools and health centers. The latter comprises debris clearing, declogging of canals, debris segregation and materials recovery, stockpiling and clearing.

The department said the community-based package of assistance supports economic community projects like repair, maintenance and/or rehabilitation of farm-to market roads and bridges, postharvest facilities, public markets and common service facilities such as production and display centers, as well as fish ports.

Further, it covers agroforestry community projects such as tree planting, seedling preparation and reforestation.

Prior to one’s actual engagement in employment, DOLE said the beneficiary will be provided with basic orientation on safety and health; personal protective equipment or PPE in the form of T-shirt and hat; enrolment in group microinsurance to be included in the total project cost or as counterpart of the local government unit; and TUPAD identification card.

DOLE added that the beneficiary should signify his or her intention to avail of skills training in preparation toward wage or self-employment after the project.