DOLE expands TUPAD to open pathways to long-term jobs

Filipinos who avail of the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers program may now gain access to longer-term employment and livelihood opportunities under expanded guidelines issued by the Department of Labor and Employment.

Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino issued Administrative Order No. 339, Series of 2026, on 30 September, expanding TUPAD beyond short-term emergency employment.

Under the order, qualified beneficiaries may be referred to job placements, skills certification, micro-business funding, education and overseas employment opportunities.

DOLE said the move is part of efforts to create more sustainable opportunities for vulnerable and disadvantaged workers.

The department will coordinate with employers, local governments, partner institutions and agencies including the Department of Education, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and Public Employment Service Offices.

Qualified beneficiaries include first-time jobseekers and youth, displaced and underemployed workers, informal-sector workers and individuals affected by calamities, emergencies, business closures and loss of income.

Members of vulnerable sectors, including indigenous peoples, residents of geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas and coastal and fishing communities, may also qualify.

The order also sets guidelines for assessing beneficiaries and linking them to appropriate government programs and partner agencies.