ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Department of Labor and Employment’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Displaced/Disadvantaged Workers Program #Barangay Ko, Bahay Ko (TUPAD #BKBK) Disinfecting/Sanitation project is now in full swing in Zamboanga Sibugay.

DOLE 9 Regional Director Ofelia B. Domingo approved the amount of PHP 3.6 million to benefit 1,154 affected workers in the province Zamboanga Sibugay.

TUPAD #BKBK is a safety net program of the DOLE for the workers in the informal sector who have lost their livelihood due to the implementation of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) against COVID-19.

Director Domingo said that the TUPAD beneficiaries in Sibugay will engage in short-term employment of ten (10) days receiving the basic minimum daily wage of PHP 316.00. They will be assigned in the disinfection and sanitation of their dwellings and nearby surroundings.

The implementation of TUPAD #BKBK in Zamboanga Sibugay is being supervised by DOLE 9’s Zamboanga Sibugay Field Office as well as the 16 Local Government Units through their respective Public Employment Service Offices (PESO).

Joemar Lemosnero, a small-transport driver from Perfecto, RT Lim Municipality expressed his gratitude for the program following the suspension of small-transport operations:

“Wala gyud diay mi gipasagdan sa gobyerno kay nakita ninyo ang among kalisod karong panahona. (The government has not abandoned us when they saw our difficulties during this crisis.)”

Prior to the on-set of work, the municipal PESOs disseminated brochures on safety and health to beneficiaries. The project is in coordination with the Barangay LGUs and the Municipal Health Office to ensure the safety of the beneficiaries.

END/kcgrafia with reports from Edyll Grace Poligrates, LEO-III, DOLE-ZSFO