Nearly 10,000 workers across the Caraga Region received PHP50.6 million in wages under the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program during the nationwide “Handog ng Pangulo: Serbisyong Sapat para sa Lahat” on Monday.

“The program was implemented in partnership with provincial governments through their Public Employment Services Offices to bring temporary employment assistance closer to communities,” DOLE-Caraga said on Tuesday.

Of the 9,810 beneficiaries, 2,649 workers in Agusan del Norte received PHP13.2 million, 250 in Agusan del Sur received PHP1.28 million, and 2,278 in Surigao del Norte received PHP10.8 million.

Another 3,972 workers in Surigao del Sur received PHP20.1 million, while 661 in Dinagat Islands received PHP5.07 million.

The regional office also reported job fairs held simultaneously across the provinces, where 107 applicants were hired on the spot.

“DOLE’s Trabaho Agad under the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is bringing employment opportunities to jobseekers in the provinces,” said Erwin Pinochos, a resident of Magallanes, Agusan del Norte, who was hired as a forklift operator during the fair.

Of those hired, 18 were from Agusan del Norte, 52 from Surigao del Sur, 27 from Surigao del Norte, seven from Agusan del Sur, and three from Dinagat Islands.

Pinochos added that the Handog ng Pangulo activity was timely, as beneficiaries not only found jobs but also accessed various programs and services from different government agencies. (PNA)