MALITA, Davao Occidental, July 16 – A total of 786 indigenous people belonging to the B’laan Tribe in Malita, Davao Occidental recently received P4.6M worth of assistance from one of the programs of the Department of Labor and Employment Region XI (DOLE-XI).

The assistance is under DOLE-XI’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program which has been extended to the IP community in Barangay Little Baguio which was affected by cholera outbreak in April 2021.

Through TUPAD, the beneficiaries were employed for 15 days doing tree planting, repair of barangay roads, and community clean-up.

“Bong gami pasalamat kay balni gami ayuda na ta gambayod gami gatas i dad ngo mi ke amse (We are really thankful for this assistance. We can now buy food and milk for our children),” shared Damaso Kido Waling, one of the beneficiaries during a payout in B’laan National High School.

DOLE XI OIC-Regional Director Atty. Randolf C. Pensoy commended the resilience of the IP community and their ability to withstand adversity.

“Rest assured that DOLE XI will continue to be one of your support systems to overcome these challenges,” Pensoy stated.

TUPAD is an Emergency Employment Program (EEP) of DOLE that is a community-based package of assistance providing employment for displaced workers, underemployed and seasonal workers, for a minimum period of 10 days, depending on the nature of work to be performed. (DOLE-XI)