DOLE eyes employment for 700,000 displaced informal sector workers under Bayanihan 2

By Samuel Medenilla, Businessmirror, 17 Sep 2020

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is targeting to provide emergency employment to a new batch of 700,000 displaced informal sector workers under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act, or Bayanihan 2.

In an online briefing on Thursday, Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns (BWSC) Director Ma. Karina Perida-Trayvilla said the figures represent the estimated number of beneficiaries if they will be given a P5-billion funding for their Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Worker (TUPAD).

DOLE is still finalizing the distribution of its P13-billion funding under the Bayanihan 2 under its three programs to help workers affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Aside from TUPAD, the funds will also be used for DOLE’s Covid-19 Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP) for workers in the formal sector and Abot Kamay ang Pagtulong (AKAP) program for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

Extended duration

TUPAD is a program of DOLE, which provides at least 10 days of temporary emergency employment, to its beneficiaries that includes displaced workers and other members of the marginalized sector.

The workers are then tapped to help in social community projects, such as sanitizing, or repairing public facilities in exchange for a minimum wage.

They are also given basic orientation on occupational safety and health, micro insurance, as well as personal protective equipment and other necessary equipment for their tasks.

For the purpose of the Bayanihan 2, Trayvilla said, they will be extending the duration of the program to 15 days.

Project coordinators

Because of the expected larger scale of their TUPAD program under Bayanihan 2, Trayvilla said they will also be hiring additional project coordinators to serve as their liaison with local government units.

She said the coordinators will also be tasked with the profiling and monitoring of TUPAD beneficiaries, as well as the liquidation of TUPAD funds.

Currently, the labor official said, DOLE was already able to cover 604,901 beneficiaries for its TUPAD implementation this year, of which, 423,511 were employed to disinfect their own homes in areas under community quarantine.

“Most of these beneficiaries are in NCR (National Capital Region),” Trayvilla said.