LA TRINIDAD, Benguet (15 Dec) – The Department of Labor and Employment on Monday, December 14, delivered the cash assistance under its promised Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers or TUPAD program to 15,000 displaced workers fro the province at the at the Benguet Sports Complex Multipurpose gym here.
Monday’s payout is the fourth for the province which has P90 million in funding. Of the 13 towns, La Trinidad got the biggest slice of the payout with P16.275 million that will benefit 3,100 displaced workers, said DOLE Baguio – Benguet Field Office Head Emerito Narag.
Narag added that the 12 other towns will have 1,000 beneficiaries with each individual grantee getting P5,250 or a total of P63 million.
Aside from the cash, the beneficiaries were given received personal protective equipment that include gloves, face shield, long sleeves. The workers also got insurance for the duration of their work.
Benguet Caretaker Rep. Eric Go Yap, who initiated the funding of the province, said the cash for work program is funded under the government’s Bayanihan 2 budget.
“The workers will receive cash assistance which they get by working, particularly in cleaning their communities. This is a win-win for us since they will be receiving salaries and we will be having a clean community,” Yap said.
According to Yap, the TUPAD program has given a total of P120 million to various beneficiaries of the province for this year Yap, the House appropriations committee chair, said they are hoping for the extension of the funding for the Bayanihan 2 next year. The lawmaker hopes that each household in the province would be part of the TUPAD beneficiaries.
On his part, La Trinidad Mayor Romeo Salda urged beneficiaries to use the payout properly.
“The aim of this payout is to alleviate whatever losses you have incurred in this pandemic, this is just to ease your burden especially this Christmas,” Salda said.
On December 22, the beneficiaries from the other 12 other towns will get their payout, Narag said.
Barangay captains are tasked to monitor their beneficiaries-constituents during the duration of their cash for work.
Beneficiaries will be working by cleaning and beautifying their respective communities four hours a day for a 15-day period.
