Workers at a medicine factory in the Philippines (AFP FILE PHOTO)
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) distributed P1.877 billion worth of financial assistance in various parts of the country to 313,943 beneficiary-workers on Monday, Labor Day.
The assistance package covers wages of informal sector workers employed under the “Tupad” or cash-for-work program, DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP), stipends of government interns under the DOLE-Government Internship Program (GIP), and salaries of young workers under the Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES).
Under Tupad, a total of 267,665 beneficiaries will receive their wages amounting to P1,335,074,096.50; under DILP a total of 26,072 beneficiaries will receive livelihood aid amounting to P428,019,961.91; under GIP, 10,810 beneficiaries will receive their stipend amounting to P68,320,433.63; and under SPES, DOLE will distribute its share in the salaries of 8,469 beneficiaries amounting to P40,973,279.11.
In a statement, the labor department said these programs aim “to reinvigorate job creation and accelerate poverty reduction by steering the economy back on a high-growth path.”
Aside from providing cash assistance, DOLE has also organized nationwide Labor Day job fairs (with Maria Liezl Projella, INQUIRER.net trainee)