ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Department of Labor and Employment IX (DOLE 9) thru its Zamboanga City Field Office (ZCFO) held an orientation-seminar on August 12, 2018 to 453 Zamboangueno beneficiaries under the “Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Displaced/Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD)” at the Zamboanga City Polytechnic State College (ZCSPC) and Ayala National High School (ANHS) consecutively who will work on clean and green activities.

“The DOLE is sensitive to the needs of our Filipino workers thus responsive programs such as the TUPAD is being implemented to promote gainful employment especially for our displaced and disadvantaged workers. We try our very best to reach out to every province in Region 9 to ensure that the delivery of our service is prompt,” DOLE 9 Regional Director Ofelia B. Domingo said.

TUPAD is a component of DOLE Integrated Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program (DILEEP), which is a community-based (municipality/barangay) package of assistance that provides emergency employment for displaced workers, underemployed and unemployed poor for a minimum of 10 days, but not to exceed a maximum of 30 days, depending on the nature of work to be performed.

Under the said program, the beneficiaries shall engage in: social community projects, such as eco-tourism, repair, and/or improvement of common public facilities, debris clearing, de clogging of canals, debris segregation and materials recovery, stockpiling, and clearing and basic repair of public infrastructure; economic community projects like repair and/or rehabilitation of farm-to-market roads, bridges, post-harvest facilities and public markets; and agro-forestry community projects, such as tree planting and seedling preparation.

The hired workers under the said program will work for 15 days and will be deployed in the 37 barangays in District 1 of Zamboanga City. They are also entitled to basic daily wage, accident insurance coverage for one year and personal protective equipment (PPEs).

DOLE ZCFO team headed by Supervising Labor Employment Officer (Sr. LEO) Makaraya M. Adil with LEO III Sylvia delos Santos, Technical Staff Emelyn Acasio, Mhidzfar Muharram, Emma Lim and Edward Abdon facilitated both orientation seminars where all beneficiaries were informed on the procedures and eligibility for the availment of the TUPAD program as well as occupational safety and health principles.

TUPAD beneficiaries and barangay officials expressed their gratitude to DOLE for providing them an opportunity to engage in short-term employment as it will help them augment their income.

END/KCG with reports from Sylvia Delos Santos and Emma Lim, ZCFO