DOLE to provide emergency jobs in Dinagat Islands
By Renelle L Escuadro
SAN JOSE, Dinagat Islands (PIA) — Around 400 informal and disadvantaged workers in Dinagat Islands will get short-term employment focused on reforestation and massive planting activities through the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) program on Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD).
Target beneficiaries, as identified by the local government units in the province, include parents of child laborers engaged in illegal logging, farmers, and fisherfolk.
DOLE Caraga Director Jason P. Balais said, ” The short-term employment will involve community-based work such as tree planting and reforestation, moringa planting, and community gardening activities that contribute to both environmental rehabilitation and sustainable livelihood support in the province”.
Balais also shared that this collaboration between DOLE and the provincial government will address the needs of vulnerable sectors in the province.
Dinagat Islands Gov. Nilo P. Demerey highlighted the need to prioritize marginalized groups, particularly families of former child laborers and displaced individuals affected by illegal logging. He also urged the integration of support programs focused on environmental sustainability and green livelihood initiatives, including plastic recycling.
In response, Balais expressed full support to the recommendation of the governor, aligning DOLE’s programs with the province’s development priorities. He also committed to formulate DOLE Caraga’s interventions, particularly under TUPAD, that are tailored to address the specific needs of local communities in the province.
Following the meeting, Balais also engaged in a dialogue with the different Public Employment Service Office managers across Dinagat Islands and tackled employment facilitation, potential program partnerships, and the identification of priority groups for future interventions. (RLE, PIA Dinagat Islands with a report from DOLE Dinagat Islands)
