A total of 807 beneficiaries from Canlaon City, Negros Oriental, who were affected by the series of Mt. Kanlaon eruptions, received their salaries for completing 10 days of community-based work, such as road clearing and evacuation center maintenance, the Department of Labor and Employment said.
Of the recipients, 695 were under the TUPAD program and 112 under the TUPAD Convergence with TESDA Skills Training Program, with the payout held at the Canlaon City Sports and Cultural Complex Aug. 8.
DOLE Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma also led the turnover of livelihood materials and assistance to various beneficiaries, including the Farmers Association for the Maintenance of the Environment and the Pula Potato and Vegetable Farmers Association, worth P2,265,220, to support their respective projects in chicken egg and vegetable production, and farming.
He pledged to extend further assistance to the calamity-stricken community, through the implementation of additional sustainable projects under the DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program, complementing the Emergency Employment Program already carried out in the city.
Laguesma expressed his strong commitment to help Canlaon recover and regain its former vitality, and stressed that this goal can be achieved with the combined support of TESDA and the local government unit, the DOLE Negros Oriental.
After the ceremonial turnover of toolkits, Laguesma and his party also toured the exhibits prepared by trainees of the TESDA Skills Training Program. The showcased skills training programs included bread and pastry production NC II, dressmaking NC II, cookery NC II, and shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) NC I and NC II.
The trainees, who are also TUPAD beneficiaries, each received their salary of P5,010 that day.
Laguesma, meanwhile, stressed the need to expand livelihood trainings and opportunities as part of the city’s recovery efforts from the devastating eruption of Mt. Kanlaon. ||
