P1.7M in wages disbursed to 244 TUPAD-TEP beneficiaries in Santa Marcela, Apayao

Santa Marcela, Apayao – Two hundred forty-four beneficiaries of the DOLE’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD-TEP) across the 13 barangays in Santa Marcela received their P1,720,200 million pay for their 15 days of work.0

Said distribution was facilitated by DOLE-Apayao Provincial head Jane Y. Adalan, Apayao Congress staff Wilfred Martinez, Jovie Cristobal, April Calawan, and Santa Marcela PESO-designate Jeaza Gem Cabigas, on March 27, at the EKB gymnasium, handing over P7,050 to each recipient.

These workers, according to Cabigas, were immersed in various tasks in their own barangays, doing vegetable gardening, community and school clean up in preparation for the graduation rites of public schools, making concrete waste receptacles, and the construction of a School Kiosk, among others.

In her talk, PESO-designate Jeaza Gem Cabigas underlined that the program aims to provide emergency employment to workers who have been displaced from their employment or those who have no other means to buy necessities. She added that the temporary employment opportunity given was a result of their leaders’ initiative in sourcing out funds to uplift their living.

“Amin nga assistance nga maaw-awat tayu ket initiative dagiti leaders tayu tapnu mapaimbag ti pinag biyag tayu. Isuda ti agar aramid ti way tapnu makadawat ti pondo para kadagitoy a programa,’’ she said.

Mayor Evelyn Martinez expressed thanks for the DOLE’s program and regarded beneficiaries as contributors to diverse community development projects, including but not limited to clean-up drives, community-based farming initiatives, constructions, and environmental endeavors.