MORE than 734,000 workers have received temporary employment under the government’s emergency jobs program as the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) continues to prepare vulnerable sectors for the projected El Niño, officials told senators on Tuesday.
During a Senate committee briefing, Labor Undersecretary Carmelita Torres said the department has sustained the implementation of interventions under the Dole Integrated Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program (Dileep) through its regional offices.
‘The department continues to implement its employment facilitation, livelihood, and worker protection programs nationwide,’ Torres told lawmakersThe Dileep covers the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged-Displaced Workers (Tupad) and the Dole Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP), which provide temporary employment and livelihood assistance to disadvantaged, displaced and climate-vulnerable workers.
From January to June, the department extended livelihood grants worth P707 million to 35,037 beneficiaries under the DILP.
Over the same period, 734,540 workers received temporary wage employment through Tupad, with assistance reaching P5.2 billion.
Marginalized farmers and fishermen continued to account for a significant share of the beneficiaries as the government seeks to cushion sectors most exposed to the effects of prolonged dry spells.
As of July 21, the department had provided livelihood assistance totaling P218 million to 9,274 farmers and fisherfolk, while 162,724 others received emergency employment amounting to P1.1 billion.
Beneficiaries were assigned to labor-intensive community projects, including community gardening, tree planting and the repair of public facilities, which also support local climate adaptation efforts.
Torres said the department is, likewise, strengthening partnerships with government agencies, local government units and other stakeholders to ensure that assistance reaches affected communities.
‘The department, likewise, continues to strengthen its convergence initiatives with partner agencies, local government units, and other stakeholders to ensure that employment and livelihood assistance are delivered promptly to communities affected by the impacts of the El Niño phenomenon,’ she said.
Among the department’s convergence initiatives is a partnership with the Department of Agriculture and the National Irrigation Administration that combines emergency employment with climate-resilient agriculture interventions, particularly the declogging and rehabilitation of secondary irrigation canals.
The initiative is currently being piloted in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Central Luzon, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon). Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan), Zamboanga Peninsula and Caraga.
As of July 21, 10,683 beneficiaries had completed work under the Tupad component of the project, with 10,400 already receiving wages totaling P70 million, while another 763 beneficiaries continue to undertake work supported by P13.9 million in grant assistance.
Apart from livelihood and employment assistance, Torres said Dole continues to enforce occupational safety and health measures by reminding employers to comply with Department Order 252, Series of 2025, including the adoption of heat stress prevention measures such as adequate ventilation, access to potable drinking water, appropriate rest periods, workplace risk assessments, information campaigns and, where applicable, flexible work arrangements to protect workers from heat-related illnesses.