The DOLE TUPAD Program

The Tupador Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers is a community-based package of assistance that provides emergency employment for displaced workers, underemployed and seasonal workers, for a minimum period of 10 days, but not to exceed a maximum of 30 days, depending on the nature of work to be performed.
The program is implemented through two modes by the Department of Labor and Employment regional office.
First mode is through direct administration mode wherein the implementation of the program is done by the regional, provincial office or field office while the second mode of implementation is through an accredited co-partner (ACP).
Those qualified as ACP or conduit in the implementation of the Tupad, provided they are registered with any government registering body and accredited with the DOLE, are people’s organizations, private sector unions/federations, cooperatives, faith-based organizations, private educational institutions, and private foundations.
Government agencies/institutions such as local government units (provinces, cities, municipalities, and barangays) and national government agencies, public educational institutions (SUCs/HEIs/national technical vocational schools) need not accredit as program partner but would have to comply with the submission of documentary requirements.
Everyday, people call the DOLE-CAR office and its provincial field offices to inquire on how an individual can avail of Tupad. It is very simple. The worker will need to go to your barangay office or the city or municipal Public Employment Service Office to have their names listed in the beneficiaries. For groups, DOLE recommends the listing to be done by a group representative. For individual applications, send an email to your regional DOLE office as specified in DOLE Department Order 219, s. 2020 or the guidelines on the implementation of Tupad under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act.
What is important to know is that the Tupad program aims to mitigate the economic impact of Covid-19 on the workers in the informal sector, particularly the self-employed with elementary occupations and unpaid fa- mily workers.
Only the following types of projects can be supported with the assistance: social community projects, such as repair, maintenance, and/or improvement of common public facilities and infrastructure such as schools and health centers, debris clearing, de-clogging of canals, debris segregation and materials recovery, stockpiling and clearing; and
Economic community projects like repair, maintenance and/or rehabilitation of farm-to-market roads, bridges, post-harvest facilities, public markets, and common service facilities such as production and display centers, fishports and agro-forestry community projects, such as tree planting, seedling preparation, and reforestation.
Prior to one’s actual engagement in employment, the beneficiary will be provided with the following:basic orientation on safety and health; personal protective equipment in the form of T-shirt and hat; enrolment in group micro-insurance, to be included in the total project cost or as counterpart of the ACP/LGU; and Tupad ID. Also, the beneficiary should signify his/her intention to avail of skills training to prepare towards self or wage employment after the project.
The payment of wages of the Tupad beneficiaries is coursed through a money remittance service provider to ensure standard application across all regions in terms of mechanics and service fee costs. In cases where an ACP is involved in the implementation, the ACP (including LGUs) shall facilitate the payment of wages of the Tupad beneficiaries using a prescribed payroll, with representative/s from DOLE RO/PO/FO as witness/es.
With the conclusion of the employment project, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority or its accredited training institutions will be tapped to conduct the skills training for the Tupad beneficiaries under its Training for Work Scholarship Program. Liquidation by the ACP of the fund assistance released and submission of necessary reports and supporting documents must be undertaken within 60 days upon completion of the project.
To prevent anomalies in the implementation of the Tupadprogram, the DOLE through its Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns (BWSC) will adopt security measures to ensure all beneficiaries of the program are qualified. With recent developments, the DOLE central office, in a bid to further secure transactions with Tupadworkers, is adding a quick response (QR) code in the workers’ IDs. The QR code of the beneficiaries’ IDs will ensure that the ID holder is the one who rendered work and will claim his or her compensation.
DOLE Sec. Silvestre H. Bello III required the adoption of the QR code in the workers’ ID after the reported irregularities in the implementation of Tupadin some parts of the country, which resulted in the suspension of the program in the said areas pending a probe by DOLE and the National Bureau of Investigation.
Citing the results of the initial investigation, the BWSC noted some of the observed anomalies in the areas, such as the collection of unauthorized fees, presence of ghost beneficiaries, and non-implementation of the project. The report also noted there is one suspect, who allegedly “deviated” from established guidelines by registering unqualified beneficiaries for the Tupadprogram then making illegal deductions in the payout of the victims.
The DOLE also scored government officials who are wrongfully claiming Tupadas their program, in an apparent bid to draw goodwill ahead of the 2022 elections. The DOLE cannot directly call out the usurping officials since such is beyond their mandate. It will be up to the public to file the complaint before the Department of the Interior and Local Government if they want these officials disciplined.
To know more of DOLE programs and services, visit www.dole.gov.ph and the DOLE 24/4 hotline 1349; Action line Against Human Trafficking1343, and for OFW concerns, hotline 1348.