THE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has vowed to place security features on identification (ID) cards of Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (Tupad) program worker-beneficiaries.

This came on the heels of the allegedly anomalous implementation of its emergency employment program in Quezon City that resulted in the recall Thursday, September 23, of DOLE Quezon City field officer lawyer Joel Petaca.

In a virtual press briefing, DOLE-Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns (BWSC) Director Ma. Karen Trayvilla said: "There are some security features that we will be adding and will be implementing."

"We will be placing technology features, like QR Code," she said.

She added that they will also tighten the process of applications to ensure that only qualified beneficiaries will be accepted.

In particular, the labor official cited the validity of the IDs the applicants will be submitting during the application.

"We have to make sure that those that will be accepted and given Tupad IDs are legitimate beneficiaries," she said.

"Profiling is a very crucial process to be conducted in order to identify true beneficiaries," added Trayvilla.

Earlier, DOLE ordered the indefinite suspension of the Tupad program in the Second District of Quezon City. This was decided after several beneficiaries complained that their payouts from the Tupad program were not given in full.

There were also reports of "ghost beneficiaries" supposedly marring DOLE's cash-for-work program.

On September 23, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III recalled Petaca in order to shed light on the anomaly. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)