A total of 147 musicians in Zamboanga have benefited from Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) regional office 9 Tulong Panghanapbuhay para sa Ating Displaced/Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD) Program #Barangay Ko, Bahay Ko (BKBK) Sanitation Project Friday at Zamboanga City Special Economic Zone Authority (ZAMBOECOZONE).
These after bars, local pubs and restaurants closed down in an effort to stop the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) leaving hundreds of musicians and entertainers in Zamboanga City jobless.
Atty. Roy L. Buenafe, DOLE 9 Regional Director told RPN DXXX Zamboanga, TUPAD is a community-based program that provides informal sector workers with emergency employment for a minimum of 10 days.
The beneficiaries have already received their wages during a simple program
“This batch started working on disinfecting and sanitizing their homes and cleaning their surroundings from October 9 to 20 and received a minimum daily wage of 316 pesos. In total, they received 3,160 pesos for 10-days work which may augment their family income,” Director Buenafe shared.
The ZAMBOECOZONE served as the Accredited Co-Partner for the implementation of TUPAD #BKBK for the musician-beneficiaries who are organized as Banda Alyansa Nagkakaisa Dapat Alagaan (BANDA) in Zamboanga City.
BANDA Zamboanga Peninsula President, Marlon Sebastian, expressed his gratefulness to DOLE and ZAMBOECOZONE for the assistance.
The TUPAD #BKBK for BANDA also covers 200 beneficiaries from Zamboanga Del Norte with 111 beneficiaries, Zamboanga Del Sur with 59 beneficiaries and Zamboanga Sibugay with 30 beneficiaries.
(R.G. Antonet Go, photo courtesy by Marlon Sebastian, head of BANDA, Beneficiary of TUPAD)
(Source: Interview with Atty. Roy L. Buenafe, DOLE 9 Regional Director )