The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Antique has been allocated PHP19 million for the hiring of 4,000 individuals under the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced (TUPAD) program.

Antique Vice Governor Edgar Denosta, in a virtual briefing Monday, said the workers who would be hired by the DOLE Antique provincial office are much needed because they could help in disinfection and maintenance of environmental sanitation, community or backyard gardening, and other priority works identified by the municipalities.

“We are appreciative of the national government’s support through the TUPAD program because our resources in the provincial government are now being exhausted,” he said.

Aside from these workers who are expected to start on the last week of April, he said the province is also waiting for additional workers who would be hired as contact tracers under the same program.

“We are just waiting also for the hiring of TUPAD workers for contact tracing as DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III approved during our last April 16 press conference,” he said.

Meanwhile, DOLE Antique Provincial Director Carmella Abellar, in a separate interview, said the TUPAD workers who will be hired will receive a daily wage of PHP395, the minimum wage rate in the province.

“The TUPAD workers will be working for 10 days so that they could earn a living,” she said.

She said they will be getting their wages through a money remittance center.

“The PHP19 million is now available in our DOLE Regional Office 6 in Iloilo City that will be sent through MLhuillier for the wages of the TUPAD workers,” she said.

She also said the 18 local government units (LGUs) in Antique are expected to submit their program of work and other needed documents until Friday.

“The LGUs are initially given 75 TUPAD workers each,” she said.

Meanwhile, Rodel Esler, Public Employment Service Office (PESO) chief and concurrent Municipal Economic Enterprise and Development Officer (MEEDO) of Sibalom town, said in a separate interview that they are now submitting their program of work.

“We will submit our program of work to DOLE Antique today so we could beat the deadline,” he said. (PNA)