BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
A total of 334 displaced and unemployed residents of Candoni, Isabela and Toboso in Negros Occidental yesterday availed of temporary livelihood through the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Displaced/Disadvantaged Workers (Tupad) program.
Senator Joel Villanueva, who secured the funding for the program, attended the payout ceremony at the Provincial Capitol Lagoon in Bacolod City, which also participated by Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, Isabela Mayor Irene Montilla, Candoni Vice Mayor Maejoy Lambot Gargar and representatives of the Toboso municipal government, where each beneficiary received P3,000.
Villanueva, who is known in the Philippine Senate as “TESDA man”, said many Filipinos have lost their jobs because of the pandemic.
“We wanted to assist and help them provide for their families through this emergency employment program of DOLE,” he added.
Villanueva reported yesterday that the budget for TUPAD program of DOLE he had been pushing for, was increased from P6 billion to P19 billion.
Lacson thanked Villanueva for extending help to the Negrenses, in this time of pandemic. Aside from this, Lacson said the provincial government is expecting more help from Senator Villanueva, especially the small municipalities of the province.*
