Daily Tribune

PAGE THREE

School cleanerseyed via DoLE deal

'We can clean up and repair our classrooms more quickly to prevent any disruption to our students’ education.'

Lisa Marie Apacible · Aug 9, 2026, 11:24 PM

TUPAD — Photo by DOLE Central Luzon

The Department of Education (DepEd) seeks to expand its partnership with the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) to deploy emergency cleanup workers to schools affected by natural calamities.

DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said the agencies are repurposing their 2026 Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD)-Brigada Eskwela convergence program to support the immediate clearing and restoration of damaged classrooms.

“We can clean up and repair our classrooms more quickly to prevent any disruption to our students’ education,” Angara said.

Nationwide check held

DepEd said regional and school division offices are still checking schools needing immediate assistance and prioritizing the deployment of cleanup personnel.

The expanded cleanup effort will draw from DoLE’s TUPAD program, which had already deployed 168,517 temporary workers to 9,186 public schools nationwide as of 30 July.

Angara said the additional workforce would help accelerate the cleaning and repair of classrooms affected by the habagat rains and prevent disruptions to classes.