Fifty-eight disadvantaged workers under the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD) program completed their 90-day immersion in aquaculture enterprises with a graduation ceremony held recently in General Santos City.
The beneficiaries were among the 100 workers hired on the spot during the launch of the Aquaculture Industry Tripartite Council (ITC) last May, an initiative aligned with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s call to expand jobs and strengthen local industries.
TUPAD workers were able to earn certificates in food safety, shrimp processing, Vannamei farm technology, and hatch-to-harvest shrimp farming through hands-on training facilitated by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), DG Seagull Shrimp Farm, ECA Cold Store Plus Inc., Damalerio Farms Corporation, and Malalag Bay Aquaculture & Processing Corp.
The DOLE-12 emphasized that the Aquaculture ITC has become a crucial platform for industry development and collaboration with TESDA, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, and the ILO-RISSC Project.
Aquaculture ITC Vice-Chairperson for Management and ECA Cold Store Vice President Cecil A. Loquias also shared that their company’s shrimp output doubled from 50 to 100 tons during the partnership and announced that 24 trainees will be absorbed as regular employees.
Meanwhile, TESDA Supervising TESD Specialist Joylen C. Labanon assured continuing assistance, noting that all graduates are now enrolled in TESDA’s database and making them eligible for future scholarships.
With this ceremonial event, DOLE and the ITC reaffirm their commitment to transforming short-term emergency work into pathways for regular jobs, building skills while strengthening the aquaculture sector in Region 12.
