Informal workers hired under the Labor Department’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD) program received over PHP 13 million worth of wages during separate payout events in the municipalities of Sariaya and Dolores, Quezon Province.
Aligned with President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s directive to enhance employment and income-earning opportunities for disadvantaged Filipino workers and communities, the Department of Labor and Employment Quezon Provincial Office (DOLE QPO) led the distribution of wages worth PHP 13,322,400 to a total of 2,379 informal workers experiencing challenges brought about by rapid socio-economic changes, providing them with short-term employment opportunities.
“Malaki ang ibig sabihin ng tulong na ito para sa aking pamilya. Tinutulungan kaming malagpasan ang mahirap na panahong ito at nagbibigay sa akin ng pag-asa na magiging maayos din ang lahat,” said Julio Santos, a father of three from Sariaya, expressing gratitude for the assistance and support given to them.
(“This assistance means a lot to my family. It helps us get through this difficult time and gives me hope that things will get better soon.”)
Mary Dapo, a beneficiary in Dolores, also conveyed her heartfelt gratitude to DOLE Quezon, saying in the vernacular that the program “not only supports us financially, but it also reminds us that we are not alone in this struggle.”
Held recently at the Sports Complex in Sariaya, the first payout distributed P12,213,600 to 2,181 TUPAD beneficiaries. An additional P1,108,800 was disbursed to 198 beneficiaries at the Cocogroove Covered Court in Dolores the following day.
Through its programs and services, DOLE continues to deliver on its mandate to uplift the lives of vulnerable Filipino workers and foster more resilient communities, ensuring government services reach the grassroots to achieve a strongly rooted, comfortable, and secure life for all.
