Olongapo City – Some 2,384 residents of the city of Olongapo in Zambales were given emergency employment by the Department of Labor and Employment Regional Office No. III.
Under its Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa ating Disadvantaged/Displaced workers (TUPAD) program, over P19.5 million was distributed as the beneficiaries’ salary for rendering a total of 20 days of work.
Regional Director Ma. Zenaida A. Angara-Campita reported to Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III that the pay-out for the first 10 days happened on December 28, 2019 at Asinan Covered Court, Olongapo while the second tranche of pay-out for the same beneficiaries was on January 23, 2020 at Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center, SBFZ.
Mercedes Francisco Risando, 83 years old, was one of the individuals that benefited from the program. She lives alone in Brgy. New Cabalan where she switches from cleaning roads and yards, scavenging, and doing laundry to afford her daily expenses. “Napakaganda at malaking bagay para sa akin ang nakapagtrabaho ako sa TUPAD. Marami po talaga itong natulungan na kagaya kong mahirap at matanda na,” Risando mentioned. (Working under the TUPAD program really means a lot. It has helped many especially those that are poor and old like me.)
According to DOLE Zambales Head Reynante Lugtu, the beneficiaries were assigned in cleaning and greening their respective areas, brigada eskwela, and cleanup of the Subic Special Economic and Freeport Zone from December 3 to 12, 2019 and December 13 to 22, 2019. In a short message during the payout, Lugtu encouraged the residents of Olongapo to continue what they have started. “Ating buhayin ang bolunterismo at ituloy ang dalampung araw na kalinisan sa ating paligid,” Lugtu said. (Let us relive volunteerism and continue the 20 days of cleanliness you have started.)
TUPAD is a community-based livelihood program that aims to provide displaced, seasonal, underemployed workers and other marginalized individuals with alternative employment for a maximum of 30 days.
