About 14,000 disadvantaged workers nationwide will receive temporary employment under the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD) Program, according to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

The Labor department said the workers will perform community projects that address water and food insufficiency amid climate change.

This was after the convergence between the TUPAD Program of DOLE and Project LAWA at BINHI (Local Adaptation to Water Access and Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverished Project) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to jointly mitigate the impact of climate change to vulnerable communities.

The partnership was formalized through the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding led by DOLE Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma and DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian on 31 May.

Laguesma said DOLE has allocated an initial P144 million for the temporary employment of target beneficiaries, including farmers, fisherfolk, indigenous peoples, and other climate- and disaster-vulnerable families.

He added the number of beneficiaries and amount of assistance are expected to increase later on as the convergence further expands to additional areas nationwide.

“This initiative by the DSWD and DOLE supports the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 and the Labor and Employment Plan 2023-2028 which aims to provide greater protection to workers, especially during calamities,” Laguesma said in Filipino.

“This also responds to the call of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to implement a whole-of-government and whole-of-nation approach to responding to the adverse effects of climate change and other global events,” he added.

Beneficiaries will participate in community projects, such as the construction or rehabilitation of water harvesting facilities; repair of multi-purpose water infrastructures; diversification of water supplies; community-based vegetable gardening; diversified integrated farming; planting disaster resilient crops, fruit-bearing trees, and mangroves; aquaponics and hydroponics; aquaculture; and vermicomposting.