Manila: Over 11,000 Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) workers were hired to help clear affected areas in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Ilocos Region, supporting communities' recovery as flood waters subsided.

According to Philippines News Agency, in a news release Saturday, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said 1,418 TUPAD workers were deployed in the NCR from Aug. 24 to Oct. 2, with a total allocation of PHP39.637 million. The temporary employment included clearing of debris, unclogging drainage systems and waterways, and preparing communities in case of flooding.

The deployment is part of DOLE's continuing 'Bayanihan sa Estero' partnership with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), which provides 10,000 TUPAD slots for cleanup and rainy-season preparedness, supported by a PHP220-million DOLE allocation.

In the Ilocos Region, another 9,778 workers were mobilized in the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan, with PHP61.17 million allocated for their emergency employment. Depending on community needs, workers were engaged for 10 to 20 days. The program provided temporary income to workers whose livelihoods have been disrupted by severe weather.

'During the southwest monsoon season and even before the successive floods, we had already prepared the TUPAD program in the regions to assist in cleanup, declogging, and the recovery of communities affected by inclement weather, while simultaneously providing employment to beneficiaries,' DOLE Secretary Francis Tolentino said. 'This initiative will continue in order to ease the burden on our affected communities.'

The mobilization is part of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s whole-of-nation approach to disaster response, supporting affected communities in recovering and restoring livelihoods.