The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is set to roll out a large-scale temporary employment initiative that will mobilize more than 200,000 workers under its Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD) program, aligning job generation efforts with school preparation activities nationwide.
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Workers to Support Brigada Eskwela Preparations
Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino said beneficiaries will be deployed to assist the Department of Education’s Brigada Eskwela campaign in preparing public schools ahead of the opening of classes. Starting June 1, workers will be assigned to help clean school grounds, repair facilities, and ensure that classrooms and learning spaces are ready for students.
He added that the initiative is expected to generate over 200,000 temporary jobs from June until the start of the school year and even extend into the early months of classes. The program is designed to provide immediate income support to disadvantaged, displaced, and underemployed workers while also addressing urgent maintenance needs in public schools.
Tolentino said beneficiaries will carry out repair and rehabilitation work within schools located in their own communities, helping speed up preparation efforts while creating local employment opportunities.
Coordination with DepEd and Program Expansion
To ensure smooth implementation, DOLE has coordinated closely with the Department of Education. Regional directors have been tasked with overseeing operations, while assistant regional directors will monitor daily field activities.
TUPAD, launched in 2009 under the DOLE Integrated Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program (DILEEP), provides short-term wage employment typically lasting 10 to 30 days. Workers are compensated based on the prevailing regional minimum wage for community-based work such as cleaning public spaces, declogging waterways, tree planting, and repairing public facilities.
Beyond temporary employment, Tolentino also highlighted efforts to strengthen long-term livelihood opportunities for technical-vocational graduates. He said that as TESDA Board chairman, he is pushing for closer integration between DOLE programs and TESDA training initiatives to help graduates secure better employment or start small businesses. The government is also exploring starter kits and seed capital assistance to support graduates in building sustainable livelihoods.
Department of Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the initiative supports nationwide efforts to ensure public schools are clean, safe, and ready for students.
“The convergence allows eligible Tupad beneficiaries to participate in school preparation activities such as classroom cleaning, waste management, hauling of furniture and learning materials, vegetation clearing, landscaping, repainting, and other non-technical campus improvement activities,” Angara said.
The program is expected to provide much-needed income opportunities for thousands of Filipino workers while also ensuring that public schools across the country are properly prepared for the return of students, strengthening both community employment and education readiness.
