NEARLY 260,000 informal sector workers have been provided with emergency employment assistance by the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) amid the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
In a statement, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III disclosed that a total of 259,449 workers have already availed of the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Displaced/Disadvantaged Workers (Tupad) - Barangay Ko, Bahay Ko (BKBK) Disinfection/Sanitation Project as of April 24.
"We hope that the TUPAD-BKBK can help alleviate the thousands of informal sector workers displaced by this crisis," said Bello.
Of the total beneficiaries, a total of 168,641 (65 percent) have completed their work and were paid a total of P723 million in wages.
The Bicol Region has served the highest number of informal workers under the program with a total of 53,169 workers amounting to P68.8 million in wages paid.
This was followed by Calabarzon with a total of 23,808 affected informal workers being paid with P60.4 million in wages.
Bello noted how more than 500,000 informal workers still have pending requests to be covered under the project.
"However, these pending requests will not be covered due to dwindling funds," said Bello.
Tupad-BKBK is an employment assistance program that provides emergency work for displaced, underemployed, and seasonal workers in the informal economy amid the Covid-19 outbreak.
Under the program, all qualified workers will be paid the prevailing minimum wage set in their respective regions after working to disinfect their homes and its immediate vicinity for ten days. (HDT/VoxPop Philippines)