Senate panel seeks to institutionalize TUPAD program

The Senate committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development aimed to institutionalize the Tulong Panghanapbuhay Sa Ating Disadvantaged/ (TUPAD) Workers Program nationwide.

Aside from this, the Senate panel led by Senator Joel Villanueva and co-chaired by Senator Nancy Binay, also discussed plans to boost the program's sustainability.

Binay, for her part, raised the importance of including fourth- to sixth-class cities and municipalities in the implementation of the TUPAD program.

"Mas maganda na 'yong fourth to sixth-class municipalities, walang counterpart, kasi sila talaga 'yong walang-wala," said Binay during the hearing.

In response to a proposal by the Department of Labor and Employment to implement a 20% equity requirement, Binay suggested imposing it depending on the local government unit's capacity. 

“Siguro baka pwede rin hindi 20%, baka it’s a range of percentage like 5% to 20%… Para sakin, yung 4th to 6th , wag na. Kumbaga, zero-counterpart and then yung 1 to 3, may range of percentage. Kumbaga, minimum counterpart,” she added. —Jiselle Anne Casucian/ VAL, GMA Integrated News