In support of Executive Order No. 70 which aims to end local armed conflict and promote peace in the countryside, the DOLE in Western Visayas provided emergency employment to former rebels who returned to the fold of the law and chose to live a peaceful life.
Through its Negros Occidental Field Office, a community-based package of assistance that provides emergency employment through the Tulong Pangkabuhayan sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) Program was provided to sixty (60) rebel returnees from Barangays Buenavista, Carabalan, San Antonio and, Mahalang, in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental.
The beneficiaries sought help for financial assistance from the local authorities to recover financially, which in turn requested DOLE to implement the TUPAD Program. Each beneficiary received Four Thousand Five Hundred pesos (Php4,500) in wages for completing 10-day community service in their respective localities in April this year.
Regional Director Atty. Sixto T. Rodriguez, Jr. emphasized that employment assistance does not only provide them with financial support but also establishes stronger trust in the government.
To ensure safe working conditions, the beneficiaries were provided a set of personal protective equipment (PPE) and enrolled in the Group Personal Accident Insurance (GPAI) program of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) for insurance coverage.
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