Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. _____ 
Introduced by CIBAC Party-List Representative 
Eduardo “Bro. Eddie” C. Villanueva 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING FOR A WAGE EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM 
FOR DISPLACED, MARGINALIZED, AND/OR VULNERABLE 
WORKERS, INSTITUTIONALIZING FOR THIS PURPOSE THE 
TULONG PANGHANAPBUHAY SA ATING 
DISADVANTAGED/DISPLACED WORKERS (TUPAD) PROGRAM OF 
THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT, 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER 
PURPOSES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The year 2020 rolled out with disruptive events unfolding in 
succession, beginning with the Alert Level 4 in Iraq announced by the 
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on January 8, 2020 due to 
heightening of tension between the United States and Iran in the Middle 
East. A few days after, on January 12, 2020, Taal Volcano had a phreatic 
eruption affecting thousands of families and causing millions-worth of 
damages. Before the month ended, on January 30, 2020, the first case of 
novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was confirmed in the country, 
resulting in the imposition of travel bans to and from China, Hongkong, 
and Macau, Taiwan, and to some areas in South Korea.  
July 25, 2022
8:00 am
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In all these events, what stands out is the fact that these events have 
widely affected the livelihood of Filipino workers and their families. More 
so the vulnerable workers, such as the minimum wage earners, the 
working poor and the marginalized workers. As noted by the Asian 
Development Bank, the pandemic alone affected 1.7 million jobs up to 
January 2021, and employment in the informal sector rose by about 
435,000 in the country during this period.1 With respect to the situation in 
the Middle East, some of our OFWs opted to take their chances in Iraq, 
rather than be repatriated because “they and their families will starve to 
death herein the country.” On the other hand, the Taal volcano phreatic 
eruption resulted in the stoppage of operations of factories in the area, 
and the evacuation of hundreds of affected workers in evacuation centers. 
The dismal situation of these affected workers was even exacerbated by 
the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused local manufacturing operations to 
slow down and the consequent adoption of temporary lay-offs, job 
rotations and forced leaves in various companies, who are mostly 
dependent on Chinese factories for electronics, wearables and 
automotive OEMs and other raw materials. Meanwhile, overseas Filipino 
workers in various parts of the globe were also not spared, with thousands 
of workers repatriated at the height of the pandemic, and thousands more 
would-be overseas workers stranded in the country due to border 
closures.  
 
 
All these emphasized the need for a permanent and institutionalized 
social safety net for displaced, marginalized, and vulnerable workers and 
their families. Disasters, war, armed conflict, crises, epidemics/outbreaks, 
pandemic, public health emergencies, and economic shocks are triggers 
of hardship and displacement, not to mention income loss brought about 
by ill-health, disability, work-related accidents or injuries, unemployment, 
work displacements due to business closure, retrenchment, rightsizing, 
redundancy, technological advances, policy-related disruptions and other 
analogous causes. Assistance to get them back on their feet with dignity, 
other than relief goods and food at the evacuation centers, or bringing 
 
1 Asian Development Bank, Philippines’ COVID-19 Employment Challenge: Labor Market Programs to the Rescue, available at 
https://blogs.adb.org/blog/philippines-covid-19-employment-challenge-labor-market-programs-to-rescue (last accessed June 
24, 2022). 


 
them home for free from overseas without addressing income insecurity, 
must be strengthened and enhanced.  
 
 
It is in this light that this bill seeks to institutionalize the Department 
of Labor and Employment’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating 
Disadvantaged/Displaced 
Workers 
(TUPAD) 
or 
the 
emergency 
employment program as a social safety net program for the workers. The 
bill contains the following provisions: 
 
1) Authorizes the DOLE to motu proprio implement employment 
projects in cases of massive displacements; 
 
2) Clarifies the covered worker-beneficiaries, which includes both 
formal and informal workers affected by the triggers mentioned 
above; 
 
3) Ensures the payment of 100% of the prevailing minimum wage 
rate for non-agricultural workers in the area of project 
implementation; and 
 
4) Providing penalty for acts, such as getting commissions, job 
sharing, listing ghost beneficiaries, padding, among others. 
 
Thus, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. _____ 
Introduced by CIBAC Party-List Representative 
Eduardo “Bro. Eddie” C. Villanueva 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING FOR A WAGE EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM 
FOR DISPLACED, MARGINALIZED, AND/OR VULNERABLE 
WORKERS, INSTITUTIONALIZING FOR THIS PURPOSE THE 
TULONG PANGHANAPBUHAY SA ATING 
DISADVANTAGED/DISPLACED WORKERS (TUPAD) PROGRAM OF 
THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT, 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER 
PURPOSES 
  Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
1 
Philippines in Congress assembled:
2 
3 
Article I  
4 
General Provisions 
5 
6 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “TUPAD 
7 
Act.” 
8 
9 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policies. – The State shall promote a 
10 
just and dynamic social order that will ensure the prosperity and 
11 
independence of the nation and free the people from poverty through 
12 
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5 
policies that provide adequate social services, promote full employment, 
13 
a rising standard of living, and an improved quality of life for all.  
14 
 
15 
The State shall improve the quality of life of all Filipino workers 
16 
through active labor market policies, promotion of employment 
17 
opportunities and employment facilitation, human resource development, 
18 
and the provision to displaced, marginalized, and/or vulnerable workers a 
19 
transitional or temporary social safety net from economic shocks brought 
20 
about by disasters, public health emergencies, war, armed conflict, 
21 
economic crises, and other related contingencies, and/or experiencing 
22 
loss of livelihood or income due to disability, work-related accidents or 
23 
injuries, unemployment, or work displacements.  
24 
 
25 
SECTION 3. Coverage. – This Act shall cover all displaced, 
26 
marginalized, and/or vulnerable workers affected by disasters, public 
27 
health emergencies, war, armed conflict, economic crises, and other 
28 
related contingencies, and/or experiencing loss of livelihood, or income 
29 
loss due to ill-health, disability, work-related accidents or injuries, 
30 
unemployment, or work displacements because of authorized causes of 
31 
termination of employment, technological advances, policy-related 
32 
disruptions, and other analogous causes. 
33 
 
34 
SECTION 4.  Definition of Terms. – As used in this Act: 
35 
 
36 
a) 
Accredited Co-Partner or ACP refers to the program partner that has 
37 
been accredited by the Department of Labor and Employment 
38 
(DOLE) to implement TUPAD projects using government or public 
39 
funds. The ACP may be a peoples’ or workers’ organization, 
40 
legitimate labor organization, cooperative, business association, 
41 
church-based 
organization, 
educational 
institution, 
including 
42 
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA)-
43 
accredited technical-vocational training institutions and State 
44 
Universities and Colleges (SUCs), non-government organization, 
45 
private foundation, or a government agency or instrumentality, 
46 
including National Government Agencies (NGAs), Local Government 
47 
Units (LGUs) and Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations 
48 
(GOCCs); 
49 


 
 
6 
 
50 
b) 
Beneficiary refers to individuals or group of individuals who are 
51 
qualified recipients of assistance under the TUPAD Program; 
52 
 
53 
c) 
Department or DOLE refers to the Department of Labor and 
54 
Employment; 
55 
 
56 
d) 
Displaced workers refer to persons involuntarily terminated due to 
57 
authorized causes of termination as provided under the Labor Code 
58 
of the Philippines, technological advances, policy-related disruptions, 
59 
and other analogous causes. It also refers to Overseas Filipino 
60 
Workers who have been involuntarily separated from their jobs 
61 
overseas. 
62 
 
 
63 
e) 
Marginalized workers refer to workers deprived of education, health, 
64 
employment, and other opportunities by reasons of poverty, 
65 
geographical inaccessibility, culture, and gender, among others, and 
66 
to workers who are less likely to have formal work arrangements, and 
67 
are more likely to lack decent working conditions, adequate social 
68 
security, and whose employment is characterized by inadequate 
69 
earnings, low productivity, and difficult conditions of work that 
70 
undermine their fundamental rights; 
71 
 
72 
f) 
Self-employed refers to persons who operate their own businesses 
73 
or trades and do not employ paid workers in the conduct of their 
74 
economic activities, including workers who work purely on 
75 
commission basis and who may not have regular working hours;  
76 
 
77 
g) 
Sub-professionals as used in this Act refer to individuals in the private 
78 
sector involved in structured work in support of office operations or 
79 
those engaged in arts, crafts, and manual or clerical work; 
80 
 
81 
h) 
TESDA refers to the Technical Education and Skills Development 
82 
Authority; 
83 
 
84 
i) 
TUPAD Program is a temporary wage employment assistance 
85 
program for displaced, marginalized, and/or vulnerable workers, also 
86 


 
 
7 
known 
as 
the 
Tulong 
Panghanapbuhay 
sa 
Ating 
87 
Disadvantaged/Displaced 
Workers 
Program, 
and 
herein 
88 
interchangeably referred to as TUPAD or Program; 
89 
 
90 
j) 
Underemployed workers refer to employed persons who express the 
91 
desire to have additional hours of work in their present job, or an 
92 
additional job, or to have a new job with longer working hours; 
93 
 
94 
k) 
Vulnerable workers refer to workers, local and overseas, including 
95 
minimum wage earners, working poor, and marginalized workers, 
96 
who are confronted by ex-ante risk that if currently non-poor will fall 
97 
below the poverty line, or if currently poor, will remain mired in 
98 
poverty, or exposed to adverse shocks; and 
99 
 
100 
l) 
Workers as used in this Act refer to workers in the formal and informal 
101 
economy or self-employed, whether overseas or local. 
102 
 
103 
Article II 
104 
Wage Employment Assistance Program 
105 
for Displaced, Marginalized, and/or Vulnerable Workers or TUPAD 
106 
Program 
107 
 
108 
SECTION 5. Lead Agency and Convergence with Related 
109 
Government Assistance Program. – The DOLE shall be the lead 
110 
agency in the implementation of the TUPAD Program and shall be 
111 
responsible in the administration, sourcing, assessment, and approval of 
112 
all project proposals for funding from the appropriated funds for the 
113 
implementation of the TUPAD Program.    
114 
 
115 
The Department shall integrate and collaborate with other 
116 
government agencies, LGUs, business and labor groups, and civil society 
117 
groups in implementing similar or related programs and services for an 
118 
efficient and effective whole-of-nation approach in the delivery of social 
119 
safety nets. 
120 
 
121 
SECTION 6. Eligible Projects for TUPAD; Counterpart Funding 
122 
Requirement. – Eligible employment projects that may be included under 
123 


 
 
8 
the Program shall include, but not be limited to, social community projects, 
124 
economic projects, field works such as conduct of survey and profiling in 
125 
partnership with government offices, agro-forestry community projects 
126 
that promote green jobs, and provision of assistance to LGUs in the 
127 
delivery of essential services. The Department, in coordination with 
128 
relevant government agencies, LGUs, ACPs, and other relevant 
129 
stakeholders, shall formulate and implement projects under the TUPAD 
130 
Program that complements or utilizes the skill set of all categories of 
131 
workers classified under the Philippines Standard Occupational 
132 
Classification. 
133 
 
134 
The Department shall also set the duration of work for each project 
135 
under the Program, with due regard to the nature of the work to be 
136 
performed; Provided, That except as authorized by the Secretary of Labor 
137 
and Employment in exceptional circumstances, the duration of each 
138 
project under the TUPAD Program shall not be less than ten (10) days, 
139 
nor exceed ninety (90) days.  
140 
 
141 
Consistent with applicable government auditing rules and 
142 
regulations, ACPs and LGUs shall provide a counterpart funding of 20% 
143 
of the total cost of the project. The funding may be in the form of labor, 
144 
land for the project site, facilities, and equipment, among others, to be 
145 
used in the project. The LGUs and ACPs may also provide technical 
146 
assistance, which could be in the form of identification of projects, profiling 
147 
of beneficiaries, procurement, monitoring, and facilitating access of 
148 
services from other agencies. 
149 
 
150 
SECTION 7. Qualified Beneficiaries. – All displaced workers, 
151 
marginalized, and/or vulnerable workers shall be qualified as beneficiaries 
152 
under this Act; Provided, That the Secretary of Labor and Employment 
153 
may, under appropriate circumstances, approve TUPAD projects that will 
154 
include the underemployed and/or sub-professionals as beneficiaries 
155 
under this Act. 
156 
 
157 
The Secretary of DOLE shall set standards on the TUPAD 
158 
beneficiaries, including the allowable number of beneficiaries per 
159 
household, the number of projects under the Program a qualified 
160 


 
 
9 
beneficiary may participate in, and such other relevant matters for the 
161 
effective implementation of this Act, with a view to helping the most 
162 
number of beneficiaries. 
163 
 
164 
SECTION 8.  Modes of Implementation of the TUPAD Program. – 
165 
The TUPAD Program shall be implemented by DOLE Regional Offices 
166 
through any of the following modes: 
167 
 
168 
a) 
With an Accredited Co-Partner (ACP). Under this mode, the ACP 
169 
shall be the Department’s partner or conduit in the implementation of 
170 
the program, provided they are registered with any registering body 
171 
of the government and accredited by DOLE as an ACP; Provided, 
172 
That Government agencies, LGUs, TESDA, and SUCs, shall 
173 
automatically be TUPAD program partners, without need of 
174 
accreditation; or  
175 
 
176 
b) 
DOLE Direct Administration. Under this mode, the administration and 
177 
implementation of the TUPAD Program shall be undertaken directly 
178 
by the Department’s regional, provincial and/or field offices. In the 
179 
event of massive displacement of workers resulting in serious 
180 
disruption of means of livelihood, direct administration of wage 
181 
employment projects shall be undertaken proactively by DOLE motu 
182 
proprio, in collaboration with relevant government agencies and/or 
183 
LGUs.   
184 
 
185 
SECTION 9. Wages and Compensation of Beneficiaries. – The 
186 
wages and compensation of the beneficiaries shall not be less than 100% 
187 
of the highest prevailing minimum wage rate set by the Regional Wages 
188 
and Productivity Board (RTWPB) in the region where the project will be 
189 
implemented. The beneficiaries shall be enrolled in a group micro-
190 
insurance and shall be provided with the appropriate training, safety tools 
191 
and proper equipment.   
192 
 
193 
The Department shall use automated banking facilities, money 
194 
remittance providers, and electronic/digital wallets as primary mode of 
195 
wage disbursement for the beneficiaries of this Act. Under exceptional 
196 
circumstances, such as TUPAD projects in geographically isolated and 
197 


 
 
10 
disadvantaged 
areas, 
or 
non-operation 
of 
wage 
disbursement 
198 
mechanisms due to public emergencies, including war, armed conflict, 
199 
epidemics/outbreaks or public health emergencies, the Secretary of Labor 
200 
and Employment may authorize direct cash pay-out to TUPAD 
201 
beneficiaries. 
202 
 
203 
SECTION 10. Prohibited Practices. – The Department shall 
204 
establish mechanisms to ensure compliance with the provisions of this 
205 
Act. It shall provide a list of prohibited activities, such as, but not limited 
206 
to, cuts for commission, job sharing, ghost beneficiaries, duplicate 
207 
beneficiaries, and padding of beneficiaries.   
208 
 
209 
Any violation of this provision shall result in the blacklisting of the 
210 
ACP, including the reimbursement of the amount involved, with legal 
211 
interest, without prejudice to the filing of criminal and other related cases. 
212 
If the ACP is an LGU or SUC, the LGU or SUC shall immediately address 
213 
such deficiency and/or error, without prejudice to applicable rules and 
214 
regulations of the Commission on Audit (COA), and the filing of civil, 
215 
criminal or administrative actions against erring officials and government 
216 
employees. In case of direct administration, the responsible DOLE 
217 
personnel shall be subjected to administrative investigation, without 
218 
prejudice to the filing of appropriate civil, criminal or administrative case. 
219 
 
220 
SECTION 11. Authority to Receive and Administer Donations 
221 
for TUPAD Program. – The Department is hereby authorized under this 
222 
Act to receive donations from government and non-government 
223 
organizations and to administer the same strictly and exclusively for the 
224 
beneficiaries of the TUPAD Program, subject to relevant accounting and 
225 
auditing rules and regulations. 
226 
 
227 
SECTION 12. Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluation of the 
228 
TUPAD Program. – The Department shall establish a standardized 
229 
monitoring, evaluation and reporting system to properly document every 
230 
approved project under the Program. 
231 
 
232 
It shall also submit to Congress, and make available to the public, 
233 
an annual accomplishment report and utilization of the funds earmarked 
234 


 
 
11 
for the implementation of the Program. The annual report shall include the 
235 
pertinent details of every project under the Program, the mode of 
236 
implementation, number of beneficiaries, donations from private and other 
237 
organizations, expenditures, number of beneficiaries who acquired 
238 
employment after their participation in the Program, and other pertinent 
239 
information as may be necessary. An impact evaluation shall be 
240 
conducted from time to time, but not later than every three years. 
241 
 
242 
SECTION 13. Grievance Mechanisms. – The Department shall 
243 
establish grievance mechanisms for the filing or reporting of complaints, 
244 
grievances, or violations provided in this Act and other related laws arising 
245 
from the implementation of the TUPAD Program. For this purpose, the 
246 
Department shall ensure that all beneficiaries and stakeholders of the 
247 
Program have access to these grievance mechanisms. 
248 
 
249 
Article III 
250 
Miscellaneous Provisions 
251 
 
252 
SECTION 14. Appropriations. – The funds for the initial 
253 
implementation of this Act shall be sourced from the current budget of the 
254 
Department for the implementation of the TUPAD Program. Thereafter, 
255 
the amount necessary for its continued implementation shall be included 
256 
in the annual General Appropriations Act; Provided, That such 
257 
appropriation shall take into consideration an administration cost of not 
258 
more 
than 
5%, 
subject 
to 
periodic 
review 
and 
appropriate 
259 
recommendation for increase, whenever necessary. For this purpose, the 
260 
Department shall issue the appropriate guidelines on the utilization and 
261 
management of the administration cost. 
262 
 
263 
SECTION 15. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within 
264 
ninety (90) days from the effectivity of this Act, the DOLE shall, in 
265 
consultation with TESDA, DPWH, DENR, DILG, Union of Local Authorities 
266 
of the Philippines, National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC), and other 
267 
relevant government agencies and other stakeholders, issue the 
268 
necessary rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this 
269 
Act. 
270 
 
271 


 
 
12 
SECTION 16. Separability Clause. – Any portion or provision of 
272 
this Act that is declared unconstitutional or invalid shall not have the effect 
273 
of nullifying other portions or provisions hereof as long as such remaining 
274 
portions can still subsist and be given effect in their entirety. 
275 
 
276 
SECTION 17. Repealing Clause. – All laws, ordinances, rules, 
277 
regulations, other issuances or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with 
278 
this Act, are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. Nothing in this Act 
279 
shall result in the diminution of the benefits and/or assistance given to 
280 
overseas Filipinos and migrant workers as provided in other laws, 
281 
ordinances, rules, regulations, and issuances. 
282 
 
283 
SECTION 18. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) 
284 
days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers 
285 
of general circulation. 
286 
 
287 
Approved, 
288