MANILA, April 22 — A wide range of livelihood assistance is being provided by Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to workers in Region 12 (Soccsksargen) who are affected by El Niño, while initial interventions through needs assessment and profiling were conducted to some 818 workers in the Kidapawan rally for their inclusion in the DOLE’s TUPAD, or Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers Program.
Three hundred eighty-two informal workers in Soccsksargen were given a total of P3,128,292.60 assistance by the Department of Labor and Employment’s Integrated Livelihood Emergency Employment Program (DILEEP). Another 50 workers were recipient of the P275,000.00 worth of emergency employment through the TUPAD program.
“This is DOLE’s response to the onslaught of El Niño phenomenon in Region 12. Our DILEEP beneficiaries in Soccsksargen region is comprised of 148 displaced workers/fishermen who received P680,620.00 worth of fishing boats for handline fishing; 134 persons with disabilities who were provided with P672,672.60 for cafeteria business; and 100 and marginalized workers who got P1.5 million for food vending, dressmaking, tailoring, welding, and other microbusiness projects,” said Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz.
Baldoz added that in addition to the DILEEP beneficiaries, 50 workers of Tapon-Padidu Irrigators Association, Inc. who were affected by El Niño were provided emergency employment through TUPAD in coordination with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, National Irrigation Administration, and Tapon-Padidu Barangay Council in Glan, Sarangani Province.
The emergency workers built a dike that is expected to irrigate some 40 to 50 hectares of farmland. Forming part of the TUPAD project is the labor cost amounting to P275,000.00, GSIS insurance, provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), such as hard hats, vests, gloves, masks, and boots, including an orientation on occupational safety and health.
DOLE Regional Office No. 12 OIC Director Albert E. Gutib, in his report to Secretary Baldoz, said the DOLE North Cotabato Field Office also provided immediate assistance to workers in the Kidapawan rally.
“A total of 818 informal workers who participated in the Kidapawan rally are eligible for DOLE’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers, or TUPAD Program. We conducted needs assessment and profiling of workers from Arakan, Magpet, and President Roxas and assisted them in making project proposals for TUPAD program funding. These are now ready for submission,” said OIC Director Gutib.
Gutib also reported that the TUPAD program, under the Special Purpose Fund (SPF) significantly contributed in the El Niño mitigation. “As of 13 April 2016, we provided emergency employment to 18,138 workers. 9,811 of them have completed the work program, while 3,487 are for implementation, and 4,840 are ongoing. These worker-beneficiaries come from the provinces of North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Cotabato City, Maguindanao, South Cotabato, and Sarangani,” said Gutib.
Additionally, as its contribution to the Roadmap to Address the Impact of El Niño (RAIN) program, DOLE will provide emergency employment to 1,658 NIA-identified beneficiaries to be sourced from the regular DILEEP funds.
The Project Proposals of 4,503 DOLE identified beneficiaries amounting to P30,365,455.00 will be forwarded to DOLE’s Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns and Financial Management Service for assessment and fund allocation.
“We will continue providing assistance to the affected farm workers, and to mitigate the impact of El Niño, DOLE’s profiled workers will be closely assisted and be given priority for availing assistance through DILEEP. The qualified dependents of the affected farm workers will be given top priority for the Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES) and Government Internship Program (GIP),” said Baldoz. (DOLE)