22 The right to social security of the workers in the informal economy/ sector Table 3 DILP Accomplishment in 2020 to 1st Quarter of 2021 The figure above shows DOLE’s accomplishment in terms of the assistance provided to the informal workers for 2020 and as of the 1st quarter of 2021: According to Ms. Gonzales, DOLE released a total of PhP 983, 554, 970 grants and they have established a total of 31, 292 projects. Another program which the DOLE launched is the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Displaced/Disadvantaged Workers Program or TUPAD. This program is a social safety net that provides temporary wage employment to the workers in the informal sector who were displaced or whose earnings were affected due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ms. Gonzales shared that DOLE has been implementing this project even before the pandemic. But in response to the adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on workers in the informal economy, the program was enhanced. For instance, the regular eight-hour working day has been reduced to 4 hours a day to minimize exposure to the COVID-19 virus. Also, the minimum number of days was reduced to 10 days last year, but this year they reverted to the original minimum of 10 days, but not to exceed a maximum of 30 days, depending on the nature of work to be performed.

Select target paragraph3