Nearly 3,800 disadvantaged workers in Legazpi City will be given temporary jobs as heavy rains increase the need for drainage clearing, sanitation and repairs in local communities.
The Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) said 3,786 beneficiaries will work for 10 days under its Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers (Tupad) program.
The project has a total cost of P18.74 million, with each worker set to receive P4,550 for the 10-day work period, along with personal protective equipment and group accident insurance.
Beneficiaries will be deployed across 35 barangays to declog canals and drainage systems, maintain community gardens and tourism sites, and conduct sanitation and dengue-prevention activities.
Others will undertake minor repair and maintenance work in school facilities.
The emergency employment initiative comes as heavy rains and other weather disturbances heighten the risk of clogged drainage systems and create sanitation and safety concerns in communities.
Weather disturbances can also affect classrooms and other public spaces, prompting the government to use temporary employment both as income support and for cleanup work.
Labor Secretary Francis N. Tolentino led the orientation of beneficiaries of the Kalinigan Para sa Ligtas na Legazpi 2026 project at the Embarcadero de Legazpi on August 17.
‘Tupad means the government is fulfilling its commitment to help you with your livelihood,’ Tolentino told beneficiaries.
Tolentino also urged beneficiaries to extend the spirit of the program beyond the government-funded work by helping their own communities.
‘We need to unite-help our fellow barangay residents, help our neighbors, help our families, and most of all, help our one beloved nation, the Republic of the Philippines,’ he said in Filipino.
DOLE said the project is part of the government’s disaster preparedness and recovery efforts, using emergency employment to provide immediate income while helping restore safe and functional public spaces.
The agency also said it is working with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) to help individuals in the province establish small businesses.