DOLE sets aside P1.2B for transport aid

The Department of Labor and Employment has allocated P1.2 billion to assist the transport sector amid rising fuel costs, its officer-in-charge said Wednesday.

DOLE OIC Secretary Benedicto Bitonio Jr. said the agency has aligned its programs with Executive Order No. 110, which placed the country under a state of national energy emergency.

Bitonio said DOLE had already been implementing programs such as TUPAD (Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers) and the DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program, even before the rollout of the UPLIFT initiative, to support vulnerable sectors.

“We have refocused the two programs and other programs intended for the vulnerable sectors so we are more responsive to the emerging challenges of this emergency,” Bitonio said.

The programs, along with UPLIFT, aim to assist workers and enterprises facing rising operational costs.

“We need to keep the economy moving by keeping people moving,” he added.

Bitonio said DOLE is coordinating with the Department of Transportation and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board to provide assistance to public transport drivers.

Under TUPAD, drivers who have not yet received aid from other government agencies will be prioritized to avoid duplication and ensure resources are directed to those most in need.

“It is given through a cash-for-work assistance, not ayuda. The payment is through the applicable minimum wage rate of the region, according to the actual services rendered,” Bitonio said.

He added that validation will focus on whether beneficiaries are already receiving assistance from other agencies.