Some 7,300 residents from various districts here were tapped under the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) to strengthen the campaign of the local government against waterborne diseases like leptospirosis and dengue.

On Friday, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) held an orientation and contract signing for the recipients who will render cleanup activities in their respective villages for 10 days starting Sept.21.

They will render four hours of work every day from 6 a.m.

“This is in partnership with the Office of congresswoman Julienne Baronda, who facilitated the funding for the program. Their task is to do cleanup in barangays,” DOLE-TUPAD focal person Jannielyn Magbanua said in an interview during the orientation at Iloilo Sports Complex.

Each TUPAD worker will receive PHP5,236, consisting of their PHP4,800 salary at PHP480 per day, uniform worth PHP300 and PHP56 for insurance coverage.

Magbanua said the TUPAD program caters to disadvantaged, underemployed, seasonal and self-employed workers.

“Based on our guidelines under DOLE-TUPAD, they can only avail of the program once a year unless there is a declaration of calamity,” she said.

Last week, they had two separate orientations for 7,800 recipients, also from Iloilo City.

“We expect more TUPAD implementation depending on the budget allocation of the congressional district and the City of Iloilo,” she added.

Recently, DOLE held a cash payout for the first five days’ salary of 870 beneficiaries from the 41 municipalities in the province of Iloilo during the “Handog ng Pangulo: Serbisyong Sapat Para sa Lahat” at the provincial capitol.

Over 200 recipients from Iloilo City received the transaction codes in order to claim their salaries from a remittance center. (PNA)