Reaffirming President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to fast-track the provision of assistance to calamity-affected workers, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) began providing emergency employment interventions as early as the Kanlaon Volcano eruption and continued through succeeding calamities, reaching 381,513 individuals nationwide, offering them hope for recovery and a fresh start.
Following the two recent typhoons that battered the country this November, DOLE immediately mobilized the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD) program, providing PHP 843 million worth of temporary wages to over 160,000 beneficiaries.
According to the DOLE Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns (BWSC), the Labor Department’s response to Typhoon Tino has benefited 68,349 affected workers through emergency employment, amounting to over PHP 363 million across Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, and Caraga.
Meanwhile, following Super Typhoon Uwan, the Department has assisted 91,699 workers still under TUPAD with wages totaling PHP 480 million in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Cagayan Valley Region, Central Luzon, CALABARZON, Bicol, and Western Visayas.
In the Province of Aurora and other areas devastated by Super Typhoon Uwan, TUPAD beneficiaries have been deployed to aid recovery efforts. In addition to clearing operations, TUPAD beneficiaries were tapped for disaster rehabilitation efforts, including repairs and restoration of damaged houses.
DOLE also extended TUPAD emergency employment to workers affected by recent earthquakes in Visayas and Mindanao. A total of 9,413 workers in Central Visayas received PHP 55.9 million, and 5,726 workers in Davao and Caraga received PHP 29 million.
Beyond emergency employment, the BWSC reported that 1,693 beneficiaries nationwide received livelihood grants totaling PHP 19.5 million under the DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP) following the onslaught of typhoons Crising, Dante, Emong, Mirasol, Nando, and Opong.
Overall, from Kanlaon’s eruption earlier this year to the most recent typhoons, DOLE has delivered a total of PHP 2.045 billion in TUPAD assistance across hard-hit areas throughout the country, underscoring the Department’s sustained commitment to the efficient and effective delivery of assistance under the DOLE Integrated Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program and in aiding workers’ recovery and resilience.
