Capitol Distributes P3.5-M in Wages to Dole’s 695 Tupad Beneficiaries
Cebu Gov. Hilario P. Davide III and Vice Gov. Agnes A. Magpale led the distribution of P3.465-million worth of salaries to the 695 beneficiaries of the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) 7’s Emergency Employment Program in Daanbantayan, Cebu, on Tuesday, April 24.
Depending on the number of days they have rendered, each worker-beneficiary received a daily wage rate of P333. Some of them worked for a maximum of 30 days, while others were only able to work for 10 days. They were tasked to maintain the cleanliness of public places or plant trees in these areas.
The distribution was held at the Barangay Bakhawan gym, which was attended by five town councilors and barangay chiefs, among others.
Grace Diaz, Dole 7 field office head, said that the program was launched in December 2017, and each worker-beneficiary was assigned in different areas in their barangays. Their work duration depended on the size of the area they were tasked to work on.
She said that the beneficiaries were insured for a year through the Government Service Insurance System’s special insurance coverage.
The program, otherwise known as Tulong Panghanapbuhay Para sa Ating Displaced Workers (Tupad), is intended for informal workers who lost their jobs due to calamities, said Diaz.
She thanked Davide and Magpale for their great efforts in lobbying before Dole Secretary Silvestre Bello III, during one of the latter’s visits in Cebu, to make the province a beneficiary of the employment program.
Magpale, on the hand, thanked Daanbantayan Councilors Manuel Benatiro, Chona de Leon, Renelio Gullem, Bernardito Luche and Renato Te who took their time out to ensure that all the requirements asked by Dole to qualify for the program were complied with. She also thanked the 11 barangay chiefs, out of Daanbantayan’s 20 villages, for supporting the program by signing the Dole’s memorandum of agreement.
The Provincial Women’s Commission, which is co-chaired by Magpale, assisted the councilors in complying and processing the requirements.
Most of the beneficiaries are members of women’s organizations, farmers’ groups and fishermen’s associations from the 11 barangays.
During the ceremony, 25 beneficiaries of the Capitol’s Paglaum scholarship program also handed over certificates of appreciation to Davide and Magpale to show their gratitude to the officials.
Aljen Rojas, the group’s president for Daanbantayan chapter, said that they skipped meals and invested sweat and tears to fulfill their dreams. Rojas is now a teacher in one of the high schools in town.
He, together with some of the scholars who are also now working, went up the stage to present the certificates.
They also gave certificates of appreciation to Provincial Board Member Horacio Franco, Paglaum official Grecilda Sanchez, the town officials including the five councilors, and all the nine PWC staff.
“Pasalamat kita sa Dole, ni vice governor ug sa inyo mga scholars nga nilahutay gyud,” said Davide.
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