The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) CALABARZON signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Region No. IV-A for the implementation of “Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Displaced/Disadvantage Workers (TUPAD) Program” last June 27 at the DENR CALABARZON Regional Office, Brgy. Mayapa, Calamba City, Laguna.

Through the TUPAD program, 450 “displaced, underemployed, and seasonal workers” in CALABARZON will be hired and mobilized for 90 days starting July 2023 to November 2023 to aid the implementation of forest protection program of DENR.

“Mas magiging meaningful po ang ating pirmahan sa ating rehiyon dahil magpapatupad po tayo kasama ang DOLE ng mga gawaing pangkalikasan na idaragdag sa mga pinapatupad ng programa…Malaking tulong po ito sa bahagi ng DENR dahil alam po natin na ang ating mandato ay community-based mula sa paglilinis ng ating karagatan hanggang sa pagpapalago ng ating mga puno sa ating kagubatan”, said by DENR CALABARZON Regional Executive Director Nilo B. Tamoria.

Meanwhile, DENR CALABARZON Assistant Regional Director for Technical Services For. Jose Elmer C. Bascos added “Hindi lang ito pagtulong sa atin bilang isang agency na nagpapatupad ng environmental activities, ito rin ay tulong sa ating mga kababayan.”

Initially, the DENR CALABARZON requested for 150 workers but expanded it to 450 TUPAD beneficiaries to cover all the provinces of the Region. For. Herminigildo C. Jocson, DENR CALABARZON Assistant Regional Director for Special Concerns, shared “We are very thankful na mabibiyayaan ang ating TUPAD beneficiaries coming from the marginal sector. Originally, ang aming nire-request lang ay para sa aming dalawang nursery sa University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) at sa Calauan, Laguna, pero RED Nilo suggested why not include the other provinces' nurseries and Seed Production Areas (SPAs), so we included our bantay gubat, and people working in the nurseries and maintaining our plantations in the provinces.”

DOLE Region No. IV-A Regional Director Atty. Roy L. Buenafe expressed their gratitude and raised that they are looking forward to allot more fund to the project. He said "Marami tayong mga kababayan lalong lalo na ‘yong mga walang permanenteng income. This will augment their income and at the same time help our environment…Nagpapasalamat ako sa DENR 4A dahil tinanggap ang ating collaboration. This is just the beginning and we will continue our communication.”

The MOA was formally signed by DENR CALABARZON Regional Executive Director Nilo B. Tamoria and DOLE Region No. IV-A Regional Director Atty. Roy L. Buenafe. DENR CALABARZON ARD for Special Concerns For. Herminigildo C. Jocson, ARD for Technical Services For. Jose Elmer C. Bascos, Finance Division Chief Mabel C. Grasparil, Legal Division Chief Atty. Dominic O. Bermudez, OIC Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer of PENRO Cavite For. Januel R. Peras, and DOLE Accountant III Carlo V. Evangelista witnessed the signing ceremony.###

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Parent Category: News & Events
Category: Press Releases
Published: 12 July 2023