As the COVID-19 Pandemic brings worldwide health scare among people in all walks of life, it also continues to threaten ordinary or marginalized workers whose employers or businesses ceased to operate or have experienced losses due to the pandemic.

The TUPAD or “Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers” implemented by COOP-NATCCO Party-List, Davao del Norte Chapter, in partnership with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is a form of assistance that provides emergency employment for the disadvantaged/displaced workers in our community. The program runs for a maximum period of 10 Days with each Program-Beneficiary paid at Php 396.00 per Day, the approved minimum daily wage in Region XI.

The COOP-NATCCO Party-List, Davao del Norte Chapter, has identified a Total of 148 Beneficiaries for said TUPAD Program, 60 of those Beneficiaries are from Purok Tipaz, Barangay Magugpo East, 60 Beneficiaries from Barangay Cuambogan, both in Tagum City; and another 28 Beneficiaries from the Municipality of Kapalong, all of Davao del Norte.

This program partnership seeks to aid those who have lost their source of income or livelihood since the onset of COVID-19 Pandemic last year.

CNPL – Davao del Norte and Region XI Chapters, led by its President, Director ANTONIO C. ARAÑAS, MPA (speaking at top photo), has devised a strategy or scheme with the concurrence of the Department of Labor and Employment whereby the original Total Allocated Number of TUPAD Beneficiaries in Davao del Norte was doubled from 74 to 148 individual Beneficiaries. The scheme afforded more Tagum Coop Members and people in the community to participate in said work program to stave off the impact of the pandemic that wrought havoc to the lives and the livelihood of people in times of crisis or difficulty.

It can be recalled that last November 2020, COOP-NATCCO Party-List also initiated in providing Cash Assistance to over 300 Indigent Families in the town of Talaingod, Davao del Norte, dubbed as, “Tabang sa Pamilyang Pilipino Panahon sa (COVID-19) Pandem-n’ya” which was implemented in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Local Government Unit (LGU) of Talaingod and Tagum Cooperative.