MALASIQUI — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has allocated PHP1.9 billion for the Tulong Panghanap-buhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) and PHP89 million for the DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP) in the Ilocos Region this year.
According to Philippines News Agency, about PHP18 million has been used under the DILP from January to June this year, assisting some 1,068 beneficiaries through livelihood opportunities and training. The DILP helps vulnerable workers, including the self-employed, landless farmers, unpaid family workers, displaced workers, parents of child laborers, and low-wage seasonal workers.
In 2023, the program benefited some 13,584 Ilocos Region residents, providing PHP144.6 million worth of livelihood assistance. For TUPAD, some 151,979 beneficiaries in the region have been provided with temporary wage employment in the first half of this year, with DOLE disbursing around PHP558.7 million. TUPAD beneficiaries earned PHP4,350 for 10-day work and were given personal protective equipment, hats, long sleeve shirts, and insurance coverage.
Last year, there were 193,242 beneficiaries of TUPAD in the region, with PHP872.5 million worth of assistance. TUPAD is a community-based emergency employment program that provides short-term jobs to displaced, underemployed, and seasonal workers. "This is a huge help for household expenses, especially during these times," said Lilia Penuliar of Barangay Jimenez, Mapandan town, Pangasinan, one of the TUPAD beneficiaries.
Meanwhile, some 3,747 interns have started working under the Government Internship Program (GIP), which lasts three to six months. Under the program, students or fresh graduates may work in government agencies or local government units and receive a stipend equivalent to 100 percent of the applicable minimum salary rate in the region. Of the total interns, 519 have been hired as employees in the government and private sectors, Mapile said.
For the Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES), which provides students summer jobs in private and public sectors, some 943 youth were assisted through the program, benefiting from the approximately PHP16.8 million budget. Employers provide 60 percent of the students' salaries, while the balance of 40 percent is shouldered by DOLE. In 2023, some 4,032 students in the region benefited from SPES, and about 5,720 from the GIP, Mapile said.
DOLE Ilocos regional director Exequiel Ronie Guzman stated in a forum last week that the employment rate in the region as of April 2024 is 96.5 percent or 2.4 million labor force. He noted that around 100,000 jobs were generated in the first quarter of the year through various means, including the 39 job fairs organized by DOLE, which registered 7,855 applicants, with 1,319 hired on the spot. Retail and tourism are among the top job-generating industries in the region.