CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Some 194,000 Central Luzon residents received a total of P1.3 billion from the Department of Labor and Employment under its Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD) program in 2025.
Of the beneficiaries, a total of 29,963 were workers and residents directly affected by tropical cyclones Tino and Uwan.
DOLE Region 3 director Geraldine Panlilio reported that the agency released P187.6 million in November 2025 alone to sustain emergency employment interventions in disaster-stricken areas.
“During Tropical Cyclone Tino, DOLE provided P51 million in wages to 8,227 beneficiaries in Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, and Bataan,” Panlilio noted.
Assistance for communities recovering from Tropical Cyclone Uwan amounted to P136 million, benefitting 21,736 individuals in Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, and Tarlac, she added.
In Aurora, one of the hardest-hit provinces, DOLE distributed P33 million to 5,463 beneficiaries who were engaged in post-disaster recovery and rehabilitation activities.
In Bulacan, where several coastal and low-lying areas experienced flooding, 5,279 residents received emergency employment assistance amounting to more than P32 million.
Under the TUPAD program, beneficiaries were employed in various community-based rehabilitation projects, including the construction of temporary bamboo bridges and access roads, repair of evacuation shelters, clearing of canals, and other activities aimed at accelerating recovery efforts and ensuring community safety. Aldrin Joshua P. Mallari/PIA-3
