CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- About 1,511 disadvantaged individuals from Aurora province have benefitted from a temporary employment program of the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) in Central Luzon.

Dole Aurora officer-in-charge Joey Sicat reported to labor regional chief Ma. Zenaida Angara-Campita that hired individuals received their salaries for their 10 days of work rendered through the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced (Tupad) program.

Tupad is Dole's community-based emergency employment program where temporarily employed individuals were assigned to do community projects such as cleaning roads, canals, and schools.

Beneficiaries were from towns of Baler (241 workers), Dipaculao (198 workers), San Luis (209 workers), Maria Aurora (224 workers), Dingalan (139 workers), Disalag (162 workers), Casiguran (198 workers), and Dinalungan (140 workers).

All beneficiaries have undergone orientation prior to the start of work and were required to submit their daily time records, accomplishment reports, and other requirements before their salaries were released.

According to Angara-Campita, the release of workers' wages under Tupad is ongoing, and more beneficiaries from provinces are expected to receive their salaries towards the last quarter of the year.

"We are committed to ensuring that displaced, underemployed, and other disadvantaged workers get access to more job opportunities that is why we go to the grassroots and identify those who need temporary or emergency employment," Angara-Campita said.

Aside from Aurora, Dole field offices in the provinces of Pampanga, Bulacan, and Zambales have released wages to workers tapped for their emergency employment program.