A TUPAD beneficiary tends to the plants at the Manila Zoo while carrying out daily duties under the Green Jobs Program from November 6 to December 9, 2025.
(Photo courtesy : DOLE NCR)
Inside the Manila Zoological and Botanical Garden, much of the work that keeps the park alive happens away from visitors’ eyes. Behind propagation beds, along the lagoon, and inside the botanical section, workers under the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers program have quietly become part of the zoo’s daily rhythm.
From November 6 to December 9, 2025, 58 TUPAD beneficiaries were deployed to the Manila Zoo under the Green Jobs Program through the Department of Labor and Employment–National Capital Region, in coordination with the Manila Field Office, the Department of Public Services, and the city’s Public Employment Service Office. The initiative provides temporary employment while introducing workers to environmentally focused projects that can lead to more sustainable livelihoods.
For Ivonny Formantes, chief of the Parks Division, the deployment addressed a long-standing challenge. With only a small number of regular staff, maintaining the zoo’s cleanliness and plant life had been difficult. The arrival of the TUPAD workers allowed attention to shift to areas that previously received little focus.
The beneficiaries now help maintain plant boxes, center islands, and propagation beds, with some replanting vegetables and others tending to koi and tilapia in the lagoon and aquaponics area. Formantes said she treats all 58 workers as part of the Parks Division family, checking on them daily and making them feel included from their first day.
Many of the workers did not expect to be assigned to the zoo. Allahaiah Zeus Rockwell, 25, from Tondo, initially thought he would be doing street cleaning. Fresh out of college and preparing for a board examination, the program became a financial lifeline that helped cover his review expenses and eased pressure on his family.
Assigned to the fish pond area, Rockwell learned unfamiliar tasks such as clearing debris from the water, hauling soil, and working with plants. Beyond the work, he said the friendships formed among the group were one of the most meaningful parts of the experience.
Joanna Lajos, 52, a mother of six and her family’s main provider, temporarily set aside her small food-selling business to join the program. Assigned to the botanical area, she found planting and tending to greenery unexpectedly calming. She said the experience taught her practical lessons in plant care and strengthened her appreciation for teamwork, lessons she plans to carry home.
Formantes hopes the partnership between the Manila Zoo and TUPAD continues, noting the workers’ diligence and the boost in productivity they brought. Rockwell echoed the sentiment, saying the program offers young people valuable experience through physical work. For mothers like Lajos, TUPAD provides rare relief and support.
For a month, the TUPAD workers were more than temporary hires. Inside one of the city’s largest green spaces, they became caretakers of hidden corners—and part of a small community quietly sustaining the Manila Zoo.