ZAMBOANGA CITY – With bars, local pubs and restaurants closing down in an effort to stop the spread of the COVID-19, hundreds of musicians and entertainers in Zamboanga City found themselves jobless.
This led the Department of Labor and Employment IX (DOLE 9) through the Zamboanga City Special Economic Zone Authority (ZAMBOECOZONE) to provide emergency employment to 147 displaced musicians and entertainers in Zamboanga City alone.
Regional Director Atty. Roy L. Buenafe, in his message, said that the assistance is under DOLE’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay para sa Ating Displaced/Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD) Program #Barangay Ko, Bahay Ko (BKBK) Sanitation Project.
TUPAD is a community-based program that provides informal sector workers with emergency employment for a minimum of 10 days.
The beneficiaries received their wages during a simple program on November 13, 2020 at the Administration Building, 1st Industrial Park, ZAMBOECOZONE, Sitio San Ramon, Talisayan, Zamboanga City.
“This batch started working on disinfecting and sanitizing their homes and cleaning their surroundings from October 9 to 20 and received a minimum daily wage of 316 pesos. In total, they received 3,160 pesos for 10-days work which may augment their family income,” Director Buenafe shared.
The ZAMBOECOZONE served as the Accredited Co-Partner for the implementation of TUPAD #BKBK for the musician-beneficiaries who are organized as Banda Alyansa Nagkakaisa Dapat Alagaan (BANDA) in Zamboanga City.
BANDA Zamboanga Peninsula President, Marlon Sebastian, expressed his gratefulness to DOLE and ZAMBOECOZONE for the assistance to them.
The TUPAD #BKBK for BANDA also covers 200 beneficiaries from Zamboanga Del Norte with 111 beneficiaries, Zamboanga Del Sur with 59 beneficiaries and Zamboanga Sibugay with 30 beneficiaries. END/ With reports from Joni Sarina Mejico, LEO-III-ZCFO