Jolo Revilla urges passage of TUPAD bill

Cavite Rep. Jolo Revilla is calling for the passage of a measure institutionalizing the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) Program under House Bill 2985 to address unemployment.

At present, TUPAD is being implemented by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) as an emergency employment initiative.

The TUPAD bill aims to make it a permanent program by providing short-term, wage-based employment for displaced and disadvantaged workers through community projects, such as street sweeping, canal declogging, tree planting, and minor public infrastructure repairs.

“From informal workers to displaced OFWs, this bill ensures we have a safety net that creates dignified, paid work when people need it most,” Revilla said. 

Revilla is the chairman of the House Committee on Labor and Employment.

Revilla said the passage of the bill is made more urgent by the Philippine Statistics Authority’s latest Labor Force Survey, which shows that the number of unemployed Filipinos increased to 2.27 million in July from 2.17 million in June. 

“This isn’t just a labor force statistic. This is a crisis that demands real, grassroots-level solutions. We need to create jobs now, while also building systems that connect people to work opportunities in their own communities,”  Revilla said.

Barangay Skilled Workers List

Revilla also called for the passage of House Bill 481, or the Barangay Skilled Workers Registry bill, which will establish a publicly accessible database of skilled tradespeople such as carpenters, plumbers, electricians, and seamstresses.

With such a database in place, Revilla said job-matching at the grassroots level would be easier.

“Households looking for help no longer need to rely on social media posts or word of mouth. They can go straight to their barangay to find qualified, nearby skilled workers,” Revilla said. 

“The registry empowers both service providers and consumers by fostering trust, traceability, and accessibility. It can also complement national upskilling and certification programs by TESDA,” he added. –NB, GMA Integrated News