DepEd, DOLE to tap 240,000 TUPAD workers for Brigada Eskwela 2026

The Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) will mobilize 240,000 beneficiaries of the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program for Brigada Eskwela 2026.

“Sa June 1, may malawakang program ang ilulunsad. Ito po ay katulong ang DepEd, ito ang Brigada Eskwela. So naglalayon po ito na mag-provide ng halos mahigit 200,000 trabaho nationwide mula June 1 hanggang magsimula na ang eskuwela. And even while classes are ongoing,” DOLE Acting Secretary Francis Tolentino said in an interview on Dobol B TV on Saturday.

(On June 1, a nationwide program will be launched. In partnership with DepEd, this is Brigada Eskwela. It aims to provide almost 200,000 jobs nationwide from June 1 until classes begin, and even while classes are ongoing.)

According to DepEd, DOLE has allocated around P2 billion for the implementation of TUPAD to support Brigada Eskwela and school readiness activities for School Year 2026–2027.

Priority will be given to parents, siblings, guardians, and relatives of learners who qualify under existing TUPAD guidelines and validation processes.

“Habang tumutulong silang ihanda ang mga silid-aralan para sa pasukan, nagkakaroon din sila ng dagdag na kita na maaaring magamit sa baon, gamit pang-eskwela, at iba pang pangangailangan ng kanilang pamilya. Isa itong programang naghahanda ng paaralan at sabay na sumusuporta sa pag-aaral ng ating mga anak,” Education Secretary Sonny Angara said.

(As they help prepare classrooms for the school opening, they also earn additional income that can be used for allowances, school supplies, and other family needs. This is a program that prepares schools and simultaneously supports our children’s education.)

Eligible TUPAD beneficiaries may participate in school preparation activities including classroom cleaning, waste management, hauling of furniture and learning materials, vegetation clearing, landscaping, repainting, and other non-technical campus improvement work.

The program will prioritize schools with significant operational needs, such as mega, extremely large, very large, and large schools, as well as those in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs), underserved communities, and disaster-affected areas.

TUPAD beneficiaries may be deployed for up to 10 days during Brigada Eskwela and preparatory activities under the Opening Block, in accordance with approved guidelines.

School heads, in coordination with DOLE, will supervise the beneficiaries. DOLE will handle selection, validation, and the administration of wages and other labor-related benefits in accordance with existing policies. — Jamil Santos/VBL, GMA News