The Manila Times
THE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is ramping up its response to the national energy emergency, setting aside P1.2 billion in standby funds to protect the country’s most vulnerable workers from the effects of the Middle East crisis. Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said over the weekend that the move aligns with the government’s rollout of the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (Uplift) under Executive Order 110, designed to cushion the economic shocks of global energy disruptions on the domestic economy. At the core of the DOLE’s push were the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers (Tupad) emergency employment program and the DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP). Tupad offers emergency employment, giving affected workers community jobs for 10 to 30 days. Beneficiaries would receive the daily minimum wage prevailing in their region. The DILP is the department’s flagship program that provides vulnerable and marginalized workers access to resources, such as working capital in the form of raw materials, equipment, tools and jigs. Laguesma said Tupad and DILP “are being mobilized to support workers at risk of displacement as the energy crisis ripples across industries.” In the first quarter of 2026, emergency employment through Tupad and livelihood assistance through DILP benefited 110,106 workers, with total disbursements reaching P753.69 million. To support Uplift, the department is working closely with agencies such as the Department of Transportation, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of the Interior and Local Government, and local government units. Initial efforts will focus on transport workers to help maintain mobility and economic activity, with plans to extend assistance to sectors like agriculture and fisheries, Laguesma said. Repatriated overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) were also being attended to. In coordination with the Department of Migrant Workers and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, the labor department is lining up job matching, skills training through Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, and livelihood assistance for displaced OFWs. A major highlight is the upcoming “Bayanihan para sa Balikbayang Manggagawa,” a one-stop reintegration platform for returning workers and their families. On the jobs front, DOLE has staged 144 job fairs nationwide since January, Laguesma said. Meanwhile, Sen. Francis Pangilinan over the weekend said the proposed P10-billion financial package for affected agricultural sectors would only benefit four million farmers and 400,000 fishermen. Pangilinan said there are over 10 million farmers and 2.5 million fishermen affected by the mounting economic pressures from the Middle East war. He said the one-time P2,325 cash aid to concerned farmworkers and fisherfolk would come from the Presidential Assistance to Farmers and Fisherfolk under the 2026 budget. About 15,000 fishermen would receive fuel assistance from the P150-million 2025 continuing appropriation, with P75 million each allotted to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and the Department of Agriculture (DA). Pangilinan called for more government support for the agriculture and fishery sectors reeling from surging oil prices, which drive up the cost of fuel, transportation, and fertilizer costs. Pangilinan said other sources could be tapped, such as the DA’s P1 billion Quick Response Fund (QRF). Other concerned agencies can tap certain items under their 2026 allocations to support local food producers, he said. These include the P3.11-billion budget of the Agricultural Credit Policy Council, the P2.4-billion budget for high-value crops under the DA, the P6.5-billion budget of the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp., and the DA’s QRF.
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