MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is ready to expand its emergency employment assistance to help public schools recover from damage caused by the enhanced southwest monsoon (habagat) and Tropical Storm Maymay.
Through the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD) program, DOLE and the Department of Education (DepEd) have already mobilized around 171,000 workers in more than 9,300 public schools nationwide under the expanded Brigada Eskwela initiative.
The partnership has provided workers with temporary jobs in school cleanup, clearing and other preparatory activities, helping schools prepare for learners.
What started with a target of 5,000 schools has now reached more than 9,300 institutions across the country.
With thousands of schools now affected by recent severe weather, DOLE is prepared to further deploy TUPAD workers for cleanup and clearing operations, including at schools serving as evacuation centers.
The effort will provide immediate income to workers while addressing urgent needs in communities hit by calamities and is part of the Marcos administration’s whole-of-government approach on disaster recovery.
Labor Secretary Francis N. Tolentino said the initiative reflects DOLE’s commitment to make emergency employment work on two fronts: putting money in the pockets of workers who need immediate livelihood support and helping communities recover after disasters.
“DOLE stands ready to work with DepEd in responding to the needs of schools affected by calamities. Through TUPAD, we are not only providing temporary employment for our workers but also helping to restore safe, functional learning spaces for our children. This is the spirit of bayanihan—when government agencies come together, we are able to provide immediate assistance to both our workers and communities,” he said.
As of Aug. 11, class suspensions due to habagat and Tropical Storm Maymay affected 9,096 public schools, more than 6.9 million learners and nearly 294,000 personnel across eight regions.
Initial assessments also showed damage to 3,348 classrooms, underscoring the need for faster cleanup and recovery.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the extent of the damage calls for additional inter-agency assistance and resources to speed up debris removal, cleanup and the restoration of safe and functional learning spaces.
The proposed expansion of TUPAD Brigada Eskwela will maximize the remaining ₱2 billion TUPAD allocation for the program, of which around ₱1.09 billion has already been utilized or earmarked.
DOLE will also work with DepEd and other government agencies to ensure that available resources reach workers and communities that need assistance most.
Labor department said that it will continue coordinating with DepEd and other government agencies to strengthen emergency employment as a practical tool for disaster response and recovery.