DavOr Informal Workers Receives TUPAD Cash Assistance from DOLE

02 May 2020Social Welfare

BY Neella Duallo


DAVAO ORIENTAL — Almost two thousand beneficiaries from the City of Mati and the Municipality of Manay, Davao Oriental have recently received cash assistance from the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) under the Department of Labor and Employment.

Each beneficiary received P3,960 from the P5 million funding allocated by the department for the province through the TUPAD program. A total of 1,360 beneficiaries are from the City of Mati while 515 beneficiaries are from the municipality of Manay.

Mr. Alex Morales, Senior Labor Employment Officer of DOLE Davao Oriental, said that the program is intended for the informal sector that provides emergency employment for displaced workers, underemployed and seasonal workers.

“For Manay, we catered tricycle drivers while for the City of Mati we also catered vendors and fisherfolks,” he explained, noting that the department is set for another distribution for other Local Government Units when additional funding is available.

Mr. Morales added that the identification of beneficiaries took time because they made sure that the recipients are not beneficiaries of other programs of the government like the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Social Amelioration Program (SAP).

Governor Nelson Dayanghirang, who witnessed the cash aid distribution, thanked the DOLE for helping Davao Oriental constituents who are in desperate need amidst the Community Quarantine brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I thank the DOLE for this program which certainly complements the provincial government and other department’s efforts on the COVID-19 response. This only proves that we are one in all of our efforts, that we are responding and facing this health crisis together,” he said.

Punong Barangay Arestea Silveron Tibog of Barangay Central, Manay conveyed the happiness of the beneficiaries in her barangay for the assistance as it would greatly help them in this difficult time.

“For Manay, we catered tricycle drivers while for the City of Mati we also catered vendors and fisherfolks,” he explained, noting that the department is set for another distribution for other Local Government Units when an additional finding is available.