SOME 1,159 informal sector workers in Zamboanga del Sur benefitted from the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (Tupad) program of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) amid the health pandemic.

Lawyer Roy Buenafe, DOLE regional director, said in a statement that the beneficiaries are from the municipalities of Pitogo, Aurora and Mahayag.

Buenafe said the DOLE Zamboanga del Sur Field Office headed by Miraflor Casanes facilitated the payout of the 1,159 Tupad beneficiaries.

Tupad is a community-based package of assistance that provides emergency employment for displaced workers, underemployed and seasonal workers.

Buenafe said the DOLE, in coordination with the Zamboanga del Sur Governor Victor Yu, have released some P5.4 million intended for the salary of Tupad beneficiaries in that province.

Of the total, some P1,052,280 was released for the wages of 222 beneficiaries in the municipality of Pitogo, P2,384,220 for 503 beneficiaries in the town of Aurora and P2,057,160.00 to 434 beneficiaries in the municipality of Mahayag.

Buenafe said they were employed for 15 days under the Tupad program and earned P4,740 each based on the daily minimum wage rate of Zamboanga Peninsula.

“Prior to one’s actual engagement in employment, the beneficiaries were provided with the basic orientation on safety and health, personal protective equipment, enrolment in group micro-insurance, and TUPAD identification card,” he said.

“We are fast-tracking the processing of wages for Tupad beneficiaries so expect more payouts in the province of Zamboanga del Sur,” he added. (SunStar Zamboanga)