Dole gives out P30M employment aid to displaced Marawi residents

Labor Secretary and Chief Peace Negotiator Silvestre Bello III. ROBINSON NIÑAL JR./Presidential Photo

Displaced workers from war-stricken Marawi City will benefit from P30 million-worth of emergency employment assistance, the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) said on Thursday.

“We are providing P30 million in emergency employment assistance in the conflict areas. We saw the situation in Marawi and we assured the people of help from the government,” Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said in a statement.

Bello said that through the “Tulong Pangkabuhayan sa Ating Disadvantaged/ Displaced (TUPAD)” workers program, Dole can immediately address displacement, unemployment and loss of income of residents in Marawi and neighboring areas.

The fund, allocated by Dole upon Senator Loren Legarda’s request, will benefit 2,292 individuals with a budget amounting to Php 30,897,288.53. The project will cover areas of Lanao Del Norte, Iligan and Cagayan De Oro where families from Marawi City took refuge.

“As of this time, they cannot work in Marawi so we sent the assistance in the neighboring areas. We hope this can help them to cope with their daily requirements,” the secretary said.

Worker beneficiaries of TUPAD will be provided with short-term employment and will receive P338.00 per day for 30 days of rendering social community and agro-forestry work or services.

According to Dole, 875 workers from Iligan City, 900 from Lanao Del Norte, 900 from Balo-I, 200 from Kauswagan, 200 from Kolambugan, 100 from Bacolod, 75 from Linamon, 50 from Maigo, and another 540 from Cagayan De Oro City will benefit from the program. IDL