Sipalay city: Beneficiaries of the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program have been mobilized to construct makeshift classrooms in a remote community in Sipalay City, Negros Occidental, ahead of the upcoming school opening next week. The initiative targets learners from Kindergarten to Grade 10 in Sitio Can-arao, Barangay Cabadiangan.

According to Philippines News Agency, the Department of Labor and Employment-Negros Island Region (DOLE-NIR) reported that the construction project aims to enhance accessibility to education for children in Sitio Can-arao. DOLE-NIR Interim Director Roy Buenafe stated that the collaborative effort between the community and government demonstrates the potential of such initiatives to bring educational resources to underserved areas.

For a duration of 15 days, approximately 500 TUPAD beneficiaries from five barangays-Cabadiangan, Gil Montilla, Mambaroto, San Jose, and Camindangan-participated not only to earn temporary income but also to actively contribute to projects benefiting their communities. These beneficiaries received a total TUPAD grant of PHP4.325 million.

In addition to constructing makeshift classrooms, TUPAD workers from other barangays participated in school preparation activities as part of the Department of Education's Early Brigada Eskwela initiative this week. Their activities included cleaning school grounds and performing masonry work to create safer and more conducive learning environments.

Buenafe highlighted that the collective efforts of the TUPAD workers illustrate how labor programs can generate ripple effects that extend beyond income generation, directly contributing to community development. TUPAD is a community-based assistance package providing emergency employment, with the recipient barangay serving as the accredited co-partner of the DOLE, responsible for delivering services to target beneficiaries.