Enhanced TUPAD emergency employment program launched
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. launched an overhauled version of the government’s emergency employment initiative in Cebu on Wednesday, expanding the program beyond temporary manual labor to offer direct pathways to long-term jobs, skills training and business ownership.
Speaking at the launch of the enhanced Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers program (TUPAD), Marcos said the labor department is restructuring the initiative to address persistent job mismatches and limited access to sustainable employment.
“For millions of Filipinos, employment is the means to provide for families, to put skills and education to good use, and to create a more secure future for ourselves,” Marcos said. “Our duty as a government is to ensure that they have the opportunities to pursue these goals.”
The Department of Labor and Employment is shifting the program away from short-term emergency wages toward structured work-to-skills, work-to-enterprise and work-to-employment tracks.
The revamped initiative introduces seven flagship sub-programs: SkillPass, Tropa Negosyo Trabaho, Sagip-Trabaho, KaHanap, Match Fund LGU, Tulong Aral and Trabahong-Dagat.
Under SkillPass, temporary work experience is formally documented as verified skills and competencies for future employers.
Tropa Negosyo Trabaho organizes beneficiaries into groups of at least five to start enterprises, providing initial capital ranging from P50,000 to P500,000 alongside business planning, mentoring and market linkage support.
To support small businesses, Sagip-Trabaho provides direct wage subsidies to qualified micro, small, and medium enterprises struggling with wage increases. The program covers up to 35 registered workers per employer for a maximum of 90 days to prevent business closures.
The KaHanap initiative matches job-ready program participants directly with hiring enterprises, while Match Fund LGU establishes joint national-local partnerships combining labor department funds with local government cash or in-kind contributions.