More Antiqueños Access Emergency Employment Through Inday Loren’s Efforts

More Antiqueños are now aware and are able to access the government’s emergency employment program through Senator Inday Loren Legarda’s efforts to bring services to grassroots, including to her home province of Antique.

In 2018, more than 16,000 Antiqueños were employed under the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers Program (TUPAD), which is double the more than 8,000 Antiqueño beneficiaries in 2017.

Legarda, who chairs the Senate Committee on Finance, has been working with government agencies not only in crafting the budget but also in ensuring that these programs, such as DOLE TUPAD, are known and accessed by the people.

“Efficiency in carrying out the program is important. But equally important is information dissemination so that workers who have been laid-off or retrenched or those self-employed whose livelihoods have been damaged by disasters and other crises know that there is an emergency employment program that they can access,” said Legarda.

“I make sure that there is convergence among agencies because it is not enough that there is funding. Efficiency in implementation through seamless coordination among agencies involved is crucial in making our programs work. This is the reason why TUPAD is benefitting more Filipinos, including Antiqueños,” she added.

TUPAD is a community-based package of assistance that provides emergency employment for displaced workers, underemployed and seasonal workers, for a minimum period of 10 days, but not to exceed a maximum of 30 days, depending on the nature of work to be performed.

Senator Legarda seeks to continue the partnership with DOLE and to combat poverty by creating more jobs and opportunities for her kasimanwas.