CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA)--A total of P1,713,150 worth of Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Displaced/Disadvantaged (TUPAD) wages was given to 423 beneficiaries during the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) TUPAD payout and DOLE Livelihood Program (DILP) turnover with Secretary of Labor Lawyer Bienvenido "Benny" E. Laguesma, May 11, at Limketkai Luxe Hotel, here.

During the payout, five TUPAD workers were recognized during the ceremonial turnover of TUPAD wages amounting to P20,250, of which each beneficiary received a total of P4,050.

OIC-Regional Director Estrella U. Pahalla emphasized how the DOLE Integrated Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program (DILEEP) has touched the lives of many and encouraged these beneficiaries to stay hopeful amidst life’s adversities.

Pahalla also gave assurance that the Department of Labor and Employment Region 10 and its provincial offices are always ready to be catalysts in enhancing the lives of those who are in need of gainful employment and livelihood opportunities.

Laguesma commended the men and women of DOLE-10 for their service and passion in making sure that help and aid are extended to those who are marginalized. 

"Service above self should be the driving factor in the success of implementing DOLE programs," Laguesma added.

He also urged for inclusivity in the reach of DOLE programs and services, making them accessible to all members of society as much as possible in order to achieve the goal of poverty elimination and inclusive economic growth and development, a goal of the National Administration. To add to this, he is also impressed with the evident collaboration of local and provincial government agencies, which is vital to the delivery of DOLE programs and services.

Among the TUPAD beneficiaries were two homemakers who expressed their fervent hopes for the positive impact that their TUPAD salaries will have on their lives.

Gina Palmero, 51, of Barangay Carmen, currently has a child who is a college student studying criminology at a known university in the city.

With higher demands for education expenditures, the most she can do is run a small food-selling business in her home while her husband works as a driver for a construction company.

In order to enhance their income and support her child, she is thankful that DOLE gave her a chance to be a recipient of the benefits of government aid. With the salary she received, Palmero plans to use the salary as capital to keep her business rolling and make better income from daily operations. 

Mother of three Cristina Betonio shared the same joy and gratitude for being listed as a beneficiary for DOLE-10 Cagayan de Oro City Field Office’s first batch of TUPAD payouts.

As a 36-year-old full-time housewife, Betonio admits that her income from her small sari-sari store and her husband’s paycheck as a hospital cook can be challenging, especially in terms of making ends meet. In order to address this situation, she took a chance to become a TUPAD beneficiary.

With the P4,050 salary she received, she would be utilizing it to keep her sari-sari store operational, with the remaining sum supporting her children’s education. She added that with this money, many aspects of their family life can benefit from the help that the government provides them. 

As the morning ended, these beneficiaries felt a sense of joy and gratitude, knowing that this amount would bring even more blessings in their daily lives—betterment in the lives of their loved ones and economic development. This also serves as a reminder that the government is devoted to serving clients who are in dire need and to alleviating challenges brought about by poverty.

Aside from the presence of Laguesma, the TUPAD payout and DILP livelihood turnover were witnessed by Undersecretary Ciriaco A. Lagunzad III, Assistant Secretary Dominique Rubia-Tutay, Assistant Secretary Warren M. Miclat, and Director IV Ahmma Charisma Lobrin-Satumba, Joaquin "Kikang" A. Uy, OIC-Asst. Regional Director Lawyer Amor Condeo T. Bajarla, DOLE-10 Cagayan de Oro City Field Office Provincial Director Emmanuel G. Toledo, PESO Manager Kathleen Kate D. Sorilla, and Sr. LEO Hazel S. Umbal. (DOLE-10 CDO/PIA-10)