DOLE orders halt of TUPAD in QC district after alleged irregularities

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Friday ordered the suspension of its assistance program for displaced, underemployed, and seasonal workers  in the second district of Quezon City following alleged irregularities.

Aside from ordered a halt in the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) in the QC district, Secretary Silvestre Bello III also ordered an in-depth investigation into the complaints by supposed beneficiaries of TUPAD in the area.

"At the same time, he also directed the National Capital Region regional office under the leadership of regional director Sarah Buena Mirasol to thoroughly investigate this matter,” said DOLE Information and Publication Service director Rolly Francia at a virtual briefing.

Francia said there have been reports that some beneficiaries of the program have complained about not receiving the more than P7,500 salary they were supposed to get from working for 14 days.

The beneficiaries instead only received P2,000 while the remaining more than P5,000 was supposedly given to other people.

“We are validating the complaint so this is the thing that we are validating. If this is true, this is one of the activities that we cannot tolerate because essentially we are depriving the rightful beneficiaries of assistance,” Francia said.

TUPAD is a community-based package of assistance that seeks to provide emergency employment for displaced workers. They are hired for 10 to 30 days, depending on the nature of work to be performed. The DOLE has allotted an initial amount of P232 million for 4,754 contact tracers this year. -MDM, GMA News