LEGAZPI CITY – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) disbursed over PHP3.4 million to 420 beneficiaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) water and food project in Sorsogon province on Monday:The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) disbursed over PHP3.4 million to 420 beneficiaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) water and food project in Sorsogon province on Monday, as part of its Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) emergency employment program.
According to Philippines News Agency, Carl James Cabarles, the information officer for DSWD-5’s disaster response management division, explained that the funds were distributed to individuals from the towns of Sta. Magdalena and Magallanes. Each beneficiary received PHP7,900 as full compensation for their 20-day participation in a cash-for-training and work initiative, managed by the Palawan Remittance Center. This payment aligns with the regional daily minimum wage
of PHP395.
The initiative, named Project “LAWA (Local Adaptation to Water Access) at BINHI (Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverished),” is designed to bolster the resilience of poverty-stricken and vulnerable families. It addresses critical issues such as severe droughts, weather disturbances, food insecurity, and water scarcity, which are intensified by climate change.
Cabarles further noted that an additional 100 partner beneficiaries from Viga, Catanduanes are scheduled to receive their wages on Thursday for their involvement in the same program. The beneficiaries are primarily families of farmers, fishermen, indigenous peoples, and other groups identified as vulnerable through the DSWD’s Listahanan 3 or local social welfare assessments.