Vigan City, Ilocos Sur – Five Hundred Bigueños received their personal Washable Face Mask, Gloves, and Antiseptic Disinfectant to formally start their ten-day TUPAD Program last July 01, 2020. The Vigan Skills Training Institute (VSTI) led the activity through VSTI Chief Manpower Ronilda Aninag.
“Since many of our fellow Bigueño lost their jobs because of the lockdown caused by the CoVID-19, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in partnership with the City Government steered this activity to help our displaced workers.” Aninag said.
She also added that the VSTI visits the different barangays of the city to distribute the materials needed of the TUPAD workers while observing the health protocols.
Mars Tobias of Nagsangalan-San Julian TODA and Reynaldo Quario, a displaced worker from Saudi Arabia said that this program is a big help for them to continuously support their families especially this time of pandemic.
Beneficiaries were tasked to clean and improve their houses as well as their backyards within ten days.
Before and after documentation of their houses are required to ensure that they truly implemented the said program.
TUPAD or Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers is a community-based package of assistance that provides emergency employment for displaced workers, underemployed and seasonal workers, for a minimum period of 10 days, but not to exceed a maximum of 30 days, depending on the nature of work to be performed.
According to DOLE, projects such as Social community projects including repair, maintenance, and/or improvement of common public facilities and infrastructure such as schools and health centers, debris clearing, de-clogging of canals, debris segregation and materials recovery, stockpiling and clearing; Economic community projects like repair, maintenance and/or rehabilitation of farm-to-market roads, bridges, post-harvest facilities, public markets and common service facilities such as production and display centers, fish ports; and Agro-forestry community projects, such as tree planting, seedling preparation, and reforestation were the types of projects can be supported with such assistance.
Also, Liquidation by the ACP of the fund assistance released and submission of necessary reports and supporting documents must undertake within 60 days upon completion of the project.