92 Mandaue workers benefit from cash-for-work program

CEBU, Philippines —  Ninety-two underemployed workers in Barangay Paknaan, Mandaue City have been given a temporary transitional work.

They were chosen as beneficiaries of the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers (Tupad), one of the components of the Department of Labor and Employment’s livelihood and emergency employment program.

Under the program, the beneficiaries are required to do community works, such as river cleanup, tree planting, and declogging of canal and drainage systems, among others.

 They will render service to at least 10 to 30 days where they are paid a daily wage of at least 300.

The Mandaue beneficiaries will conduct declogging of canals and other waterways and cleaning the roadside in their barangay for 14 days.

The beneficiaries will be paid P366 per day, or a total of P5,124 each.

DOLE has allotted P471,408 for the workers’ salary.

They have also been enrolled in a social protection program called Group Personal Accident Insurance with the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) for P50 per person for a year.

DOLE-Tri City Field Office Chief Emmanuel Ferrer said the beneficiaries underwent a program orientation, as well as occupational safety and health standards.

Through the program, Ferrer said, self-employed workers with insufficient income, marginalized and landless farmers, unpaid family workers, parents of child laborers, low wage and season workers and workers displaced by natural or man-made disasters can avail of DOLE's livelihood and emergency employment programs and services.

Meanwhile, 104 security guards received their payment for wage differential, uniform allowance, and overtime pay totaling to P3.4 million.

Each guard has received an amount ranging from P7,000 to P55,000.

This after DOLE-7 issued a compliance order to their employer, Vulcan Security Agency.

Lawyer Alvin Villamor, DOLE-7 regional director, said the guards previously lodged a complaint before DOLE against their employer over meager salary and benefits. — KBQ (FREEMAN)