DOLE to Continue Assistance for Displaced Workers in the Philippines
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) assures that they will continue providing assistance and creating measures to assist displaced workers in Metro Manila and other regions in the Philippines.
DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III stated that DOLE is committed to create measures and provide employment programs for employees affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bello noted that the agency extended the hiring of local contract tracers for local government units (LGUs) in Metro Manila to provide jobs to more workers in the country.
DOLE also intensified the implementation of its Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program, which provides temporary employment to individuals who lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
TUPAD is a community-based assistance program providing temporary employment to displaced, underemployed, and seasonal workers for a minimum of 10 days but not exceeding 30 days, depending on the nature of work to be performed.
Bello expressed, “I am happy to see how the government, through DOLE, is able to bring assistance and relief to our workers.”
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the unemployment rate in the Philippines decreased to 7.1% in March, from the 8.8% unemployment rate in the previous month.
So far, DOLE has released ₱6.37 million in wages to 1,419 informal sector workers in Ormoc City. At least 1,080 workers received ₱4,875 each as payment for their 15-day service. The rest were paid P3,250 each for completing a 10-day TUPAD program.
