30/09/2026
78 TUPAD BENEFICIARIES IN SIRAWAI ACQUIRE VEGETABLE PRODUCTION SKILLS THROUGH LGU-SUPPORTED TRAINING
SIRAWAI, Zamboanga del Norte — In line with the administration's thrust under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) leadership of Secretary Francis N. Tolentino, the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD) Program continues to complement temporary employment with skills development and productive community-based activities that provide beneficiaries with opportunities beyond their short-term engagement.
In the Municipality of Sirawai, Zamboanga del Norte, 78 TUPAD beneficiaries are currently engaged in various community-based work activities for 20 days, including the establishment of communal vegetable gardens in their respective barangays. As part of the ongoing implementation, the beneficiaries participated in a one-day training on Vegetable Production conducted by the Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO), equipping them with practical knowledge and skills in vegetable growing that they can apply in the communal gardens and potentially in their own households.
The Local Government Unit (LGU) of Sirawai, under the leadership of Mayor Aljazar P. Janihim, supports the initiative and provided funding for the Vegetable Production training. The LGU also provided vegetable seeds, gloves, and garden trowels to each beneficiary to help them apply their newly acquired knowledge. PESO Manager Laida M. Dinglasa facilitated the activities in coordination with the Municipal Agriculture Office, helping ensure the smooth conduct of the training and the beneficiaries' participation in the communal gardening activity. The initiative reflects the LGU's support for equipping community members with practical skills that can contribute to household and community food production, with the communal gardens serving as one of the beneficiaries' work activities under TUPAD.
DOLE Regional Director Albert E. Gutib emphasized that linking temporary employment with skills development and productive community activities is the implementation strategy being pursued by the Department to strengthen TUPAD interventions. In Sirawai, this approach gives beneficiaries an opportunity to earn while acquiring practical skills that they can potentially apply beyond their TUPAD engagement, contributing to household and community food production.