Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers beneficiaries deployed to assist in flood control and community cleanup amid the habagat (southwest monsoon) season in this undated photo. Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino said on Saturday (Sept. 5, 2026) that over 11,000 TUPAD workers were hired to help clear affected areas in Metro Manila and Ilocos Region. (Photos from DOLE)
More than 11,000 displaced and disadvantaged workers have been tapped to help communities in Metro Manila and the Ilocos Region recover from flooding, providing much-needed manpower for cleanup operations while giving affected families a temporary source of income.
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said Saturday that workers under its Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program have been deployed to clear debris, unclog drainage systems and waterways, and undertake other activities aimed at restoring flood-hit communities and preparing them for further heavy rains.
In the National Capital Region, 1,418 TUPAD beneficiaries were deployed from Aug. 24 to Oct. 2 under a PHP39.637-million allocation.
Their work forms part of DOLE’s continuing “Bayanihan sa Estero” partnership with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, which has set aside 10,000 TUPAD slots for cleanup operations and rainy-season preparedness across Metro Manila.
DOLE has allocated PHP220 million for the initiative.
A much larger deployment is underway in the Ilocos Region, where 9,778 workers were mobilized across Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan.
The government allocated PHP61.17 million for their emergency employment, with beneficiaries hired for 10 to 20 days depending on the needs of their respective communities.
Aside from accelerating cleanup and rehabilitation efforts, the program provides temporary income to workers whose livelihoods have been disrupted by severe weather and repeated flooding.
Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino said DOLE had already positioned the TUPAD program in vulnerable areas even before successive floods hit, allowing the government to quickly mobilize workers for recovery efforts.
“During the southwest monsoon season and even before the successive floods, we had already prepared the TUPAD program in the regions to assist in cleanup, declogging, and the recovery of communities affected by inclement weather, while simultaneously providing employment to beneficiaries,” Tolentino said.
“This initiative will continue in order to ease the burden on our affected communities,” he added.
DOLE said the deployment supports the Marcos administration’s whole-of-nation disaster response, combining community rehabilitation with emergency livelihood assistance to help families get back on their feet after severe weather.