The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) announced on Monday that emergency employment and livelihood assistance worth PHP110 million will be given to almost 20,000 individuals affected by the oil spill in Oriental Mindoro province.
DOLE Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma revealed that the aid will be provided through the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program in partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), the Department of Tourism (DOT), and the provincial government.
The beneficiaries will receive the assistance as follows: Pola – PHP5,065,875; Naujan – PHP9,143,103; Mansalay – PHP11,051,103; Pinamalayan – PHP17,886,147; Bansud – PHP7,787,673; Bulalacao – PHP13,355,514; Gloria – PHP8,207,055; Bongabong – PHP7,782,042; Roxas – PHP7,748,256; San Teodoro – PHP344,835; and Calapan City – PHP19,840,932.
In addition, the DOT will provide capacity development training programs for qualified beneficiaries in culinary/food tourism, farm tourism, tourism micro retail, and health and wellness tourism, among others.
Meanwhile, TESDA will allocate funds for NC II skills training in construction, agriculture, tourism, automotive, and other relevant sectors, as well as livelihood training programs through its training centers and registered mobile programs.
The agency also designed short-term programs on critical competencies for each of the identified NC II courses.
The province will act as the coordinator in charge of ensuring the systematic coverage of affected workers and smooth project implementation, as well as monitoring the integration of trained beneficiaries to establish their self-reliance.
Laguesma emphasized that the convergence agreement is DOLE's response to the people's call for help, providing temporary aid to disadvantaged or displaced workers under the TUPAD Program while striving to bring more sustainable and inclusive assistance to the affected individuals and families.
