TUPAD beneficiaries. | File photo
LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu – The Department of Labor and Employment in Central Visayas (DOLE-7) has announced its decision to temporarily suspend the payout of their “Tulong Panghanapbuhay ng ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD)” program despite the exemption granted by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) from the election ban.
Lawyer Roy Buenafe, the DOLE-7 director, said the suspension will be implemented from May 2 to 13, 2025.
“We have our own guidelines, nga nag-obserbar mi ug delikadisa. So ang atong programa, dili ta maghatag sa sweldo, payout from May 2 until May 13,” Buenafe said.
READ: Lapu-Lapu barangay captain faces backlash over TUPAD deduction of P3,300
(We have our own guidelines and we practice courtesy. It is for this reason that we will suspend the payouts from May 3 until May 13.)
TUPAD is a 10-day cash-for-work program implemented by DOLE for displaced and disadvantaged workers.
READ: In Lapu-Lapu City, 855 TUPAD beneficiaries receive pay
Personal interests
Buenafe said that his decision was meant to protect the program from politicians who may want to take advantage of the TUPAD payouts to promote their personal interest and to boost their campaign.
“Tungod kay gilikayan nato nga maapil ta sa konterbersiya sa election. Ingnon unya ta ug vote-buying ba hinoon o unsa diha,” he added.
(We wanted to avoid any election controversies. We don’t want to be accused of vote-buying or what so ever.)
Since payouts are done in the localities, Buenafe said they always coordinate with the local government units (LGUs) during their payouts.
Investigation
Earlier, DOLE-7 announced that it was conducting an investigation on the alleged deduction of TUPAD grants by a barangay official in Lapu-Lapu City.
This after a video proliferated online showing Canjulao Barangay Captain Rufo Bering explaining why they would deduct P3,300 from the P4,3000 that beneficiaries were supposed to receive.
In the video, Bering said that the deducted amount will fund the city’s ‘Bayanihan Projects’ that will include the cementing of roads that cannot be funded from the city’s coffers since the lot is privately owned.
Buenafe said that they already called for a meeting with Lapu-Lapu City officials on the matter.
However, he clarified that they haven’t received a formal complaint from any beneficiaries whose financial assistance were deducted.
“Ang ato lang this is our own initiative para makita nato kun duna ba’y kamatuoran ang maong alegasyon,” he said.
(This is our own initiative for us to determine if there is truth to the allegation.)
Moreover, Buenafe clarified that their investigation will not be focused on Lapu-Lapu City, but the entire region.
But Buenafe admitted that they only heard of alleged anomalies in the implementation of their TUPAD program in Lapu-Lapu City. | FAI
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