Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 20) — The government’s assistance program for displaced workers is facing a funding reduction in the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) proposed 2023 budget.
“Lahat naman halos ng programa may karagdagan, bukod dun sa TUPAD (Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers),” Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma told CNN Philippines on Monday.
[Translation: Almost all programs have additional funding, except TUPAD.]
He said the department has slashed TUPAD’s budget as the country shifts to the new normal, with the government doing away with hard lockdowns.
The labor chief did not provide specific figures.
According to DOLE’s website, TUPAD provides emergency employment for Filipino workers affected by the pandemic, such as in social, economic, and agro-forestry community projects.
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Those qualified will be paid after working anywhere from 10 to 30 days.
For 2023, DOLE has proposed a budget of ₱25.8 billion, significantly lower than the ₱36.9 billion allotted this year.
Meanwhile, Laguesma stressed the need for the government and the private sector to generate more full-time, secure, and quality jobs.
