MALAYBALAY CITY, (PIA)--The 260 disadvantaged and displaced workers of Don Carlos municipality received a total of P1,014,000 in salaries thru the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE-10) Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program.
DOLE 10-Bukidnon Field Office Provincial Director Raul Valmores released the P3,900 TUPAD salaries for each beneficiary for their 10-day work.
He said the 260 beneficiaries are from barangays Don Carlos Norte, Don Carlos Sur, and Pinamaloy.
Valmores also announced during the payout on January 30 at JMZ Astrodome in Don Carlos town that the incoming beneficiaries for this year would soon receive P405 per day or P4,050 for ten days due to the wage increase that took effect on December 16 last year, under Wage Order RX-21 of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB).
Don Carlos Norte beneficiary Jay Ann Daming, a housewife, and mom of two kids, said the money received will be used to buy necessities and household items.
“Gikan man gud mi nag-ipon sa among ginikanan, karon naka-desisyon mi nga mag lahi na. Ipamalit namo ni ug gamit sa balay, bahala ug ginagmay basta kay naa. Nagpasalamat mi nga naay ingon ani nga programa sa gobyerno pinaagi sa DOLE. Unta naa ni pirmi aron matabangan pud ang uban nga sama nao ug kahimtang. (My parents shared with us a home until we opted to find our own. We will use these TUPAD wages to buy household items. We are very thankful. We hope this becomes a long-lasting DOLE program so that it can help other unemployed people like us)," Daming said.
Merinda Pulang, 64, a first-time beneficiary who works as a home laundress, said that her small income could barely financially support his family.
“Mapasalamaton gyud ko nga naapil mi aning TUPAD nga programa. Bisan napulo lang ka adlaw nga trabaho, dako gyud ni ug tabang kay makapalit na gyud mi ug pangkaon. Bisan wala nay akong pangtambal importanti nga naa para sa akong mga apo. Maayo unta ug sa sunod matabangan gihapon mi. (I am very thankful to be part of the TUPAD program. Even if it’s just a 10-day work, it is a big help because we can now afford to buy our needs. Even if I cannot purchase my own medicine, it’s more important that my grandchildren can eat. I hope we will still be part of the program in succeeding years)," tearful Merinda said.
Merinda and her single-mom daughter with two kids live at Don Carlos Norte. Despite being underemployed and financially unstable, she is optimistic about providing a better life for her children because her daughter is currently in school.
TUPAD provides emergency employment for displaced workers, underemployed, and disadvantaged poor for 10 days but not to exceed a maximum of 90 days, depending on the nature of work. (DOLE-10/PIA 10-Bukidnon)
