DOLE: TUPAD, other programs exempted from Comelec ban

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said Wednesday its flagship emergency employment program for displaced and disadvantaged workers in the informal sector will continue after it secured an exemption from the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

This was announced by DOLE Director Ma. Karina Perida-Trayvilla of the Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns (BWSC) at a virtual press chat.

She said the Comelec granted the request of Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III for the exemption of five DOLE programs from the activities prohibited during the election period, including the Tulong Panghanapbuhay para sa ating  Displaced/Disadvantaged workers program or TUPAD.

“We have applied for the said exemption on January 18, 2022 and was issued an approval on February 10, 2022, signed and approved by Comelec Acting Chairperson Socorro Inting. With this exemption, we will continue to implement the flagship programs of the department, especially our TUPAD even during this election period,” she said.

The DOLE secured an exemption from the Comelec’s Resolution No. 1047 issued on December 16, 2021 which prohibited the release, disbursement, or expenditures of public funds in relation to the election period, effective March 25, 2022 to May 8, 2022.

Under the said resolution, emergency work necessitated by the occurrence of a public calamity shall be exempted from the election ban.

Trayvilla said that aside from TUPAD, the exempted DOLE programs enumerated in the Comelec resolution are the Government Internship Program (GIP); Jobstart Philippines Program (JSP); Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES); and the DOLE Child Labor Prevention and Elimination Program (CLPEP).

“The services and programs of the department will continue to benefit our kababayans even during the election period. We still have various packages that will be provided to our beneficiaries such as bigasan and other livelihood assistance, our Jobstart skills training, and other assets set for our child labor elimination program,” Trayvilla said.

The DOLE official likewise reminded local government units (LGUs) to inhibit associating the programs and services of the department, especially the TUPAD project, on their respective campaigns.

“We would like to remind our partner LGUs on the proper use of the TUPAD name. We advocate for its integrity because TUPAD is a service mark of DOLE. We have been issued with a copy of registration from the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) so we have legal protection for TUPAD,” she said. — RSJ, GMA News