The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has deployed some 800 beneficiaries of the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) from the six towns in Tarlac to take part in the ongoing “Brigada Eskwela” volunteer maintenance activity.

DOLE-Tarlac chief labor and employment officer Jose Roberto Navata said on Tuesday that the TUPAD program beneficiaries from the towns of Camiling, Anao, Ramos, San Clemente and Moncada were sent to 36 public schools to serve as partners of parents and teachers in weeding, cleaning classrooms, painting and cleaning toilets.

Navata said the TUPAD beneficiaries are also scheduled to work on renovating schools until Aug. 18.

From Capas town, the TUPAD beneficiaries are 136 parents of children profiled as laborers by the DOLE in 2022.

“The TUPAD program is just one of the interventions that DOLE is conducting for the families of our child laborers. Our goal is to help their families earn a living so that children do not have to work and pay attention to their studies,” Navata said in a news program.

Villamor Gutierrez, head teacher of Capas West Central Elementary School, said the TUPAD beneficiaries are a great help to their school.

“Nadagdagan kami ng mga kasama sa paglilinis at pagpapaganda ng paaralan. Higit sa pagpapanatili ng kaayusan, ito ay isang mahalagang aspeto ng pag-unlad ng aming mga mag-aaral dahil mas madaling matuto kung malinis at maayos ang paaralan (We have additional partners in cleaning and beautifying our school. More than maintaining order, it is an important aspect of our students’ development because it is easier to learn if the school is clean and tidy),” Gutierrez said.

Navata said that after five days of participating in the Brigada Eskwela, the TUPAD beneficiaries will also clean up the villages.

He said the TUPAD beneficiaries are likewise scheduled to participate in community-based training such as making soap dishwashers, “tocino” (cured pork) and others.

“Around 145 of them also want to find permanent jobs in companies with recorded job vacancies in the different Public Employment Service Offices in the province,” he added.

Under the program, each beneficiary will receive a salary of PHP4,600 after 10 working days.

TUPAD is the DOLE’s cash-for-work program that helps the informal sector earn income by providing temporary employment such as cleaning, repairing public facilities and other projects in the communities. (PNA)