TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE 
Senate Bill No.
25 JUL -2 P5 '29
Introduced by Senator JOEL VILLANUEVA
AN ACT
PROVIDING FORA 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 global and domestic events of recent years have exposed the vulnerability 
of Filipino workers to economic shocks, natural disasters, and public health 
emergencies. From volcanic eruptions and armed conflicts abroad to the far-reaching 
impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, millions—particularly those in the informal sector- 
have suffered job displacement, loss of income, and worsening poverty.
According to the Asian Development Bank, the pandemic alone disrupted 1.7 
million jobs by January 2021, and informal sector employment rose by around 435,000 
during this period.1 Many overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), faced with the difficult 
choice between safety and survival, opted to remain in high-risk environments abroad 
rather than return home to uncertain employment prospects.
Crises such as disasters, armed conflict, disease outbreaks, and economic 
downturns create widespread displacement and financial insecurity. Income loss may 
also stem from illness, disability, workplace accidents, termination due to 
retrenchment or redundancy, technological shifts, or policy changes.
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, 2025).


Minimum wage earners, the working poor, and those in precarious or informal 
employment remain the most at risk. These recurring disruptions underscore the 
urgent need for a stable, institutionalized safety net that protects displaced and 
marginalized workers and enables them to recover with dignity.
This bill seeks to institutionalize the Department of Labor and Employment's 
Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) 
Program as a core component of the country's labor protection system. Specifically, 
the measure:
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) Provides penalty for acts, such as getting commissions, job sharing, listing 
ghost beneficiaries, and padding, among others.
TUPAD is not merely an emergency response mechanism. It is a vital tool for 
social justice and inclusive recovery. By providing short-term employment, the 
program empowers individuals to rebuild their communities while regaining income 
security and hope.
The immediate passage of this bill is therefore earnestly sought.
joej^illanuevaQ^


TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE
Senate Bill No. ^3
25 JUL-2 P5 29
U!Ci
Introduced by Senator JOEL 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 Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
1 
Article I
2 
General Provisions
3 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "TUPAD Act"
4 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policies. - The State shall promote a just and
5 
dynamic social order that will ensure the prosperity and independence of the
6 
nation and free the people from poverty through policies that provide adequate
7 
social services, promote full employment, a rising standard of living, and an
8 
improved quality of life for all.
9 
The State shall improve the quality of life of all Filipino workers through
10 
active labor market policies, promotion of employment opportunities and
11 
employment facilitation, human resource development, and the provision to
12 
displaced, marginalized, and/or vulnerable workers a transitional or temporary


1 
social safety net from economic shocks brought about by disasters, public
2 
health emergencies, war, armed conflict, economic crises, and other related
3 
contingencies, and/or experiencing loss of livelihood or income due to disability,
4 
work-related accidents or injuries, unemployment, or work displacements.
5 
SEC. 3. Coverage. - This Act shall cover all displaced, marginalized,
6 
and/or vulnerable workers affected by disasters, public health emergencies,
7 
war, armed conflict, economic crises, and other related contingencies, and/or
8 
experiencing loss of livelihood, or income loss due to ill-health, disability, work-
9 
related accidents or injuries, unemployment, or work displacements because of
10 
authorized causes of termination of employment, technological advances,
11 
policy-related disruptions, and other analogous causes.
12 
SEC. 4. Definition of Terms. - For purposes of this Act, the following
13 
terms are hereby defined as follows:
14 
a) 
Accredited Co-Partner ox ACP refers to the program partner that has
15 
been accredited by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to
16 
implement TUPAD projects using government or public funds. The ACP
17 
may be a peoples' or workers' organization, legitimate labor organization,
18 
cooperative, business association, church-based organization, educational
19 
institution, including Technical Education and Skills Development
20 
Authority (TESDA)-accredited technical-vocational training institutions
21 
and State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), non-government organization,
22 
private foundation, or a government agency or instrumentality, including
23 
National Government Agencies (NGAs), Local Government Units (LGUs)
24 
and Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCCs);
25 
b) Beneficiary xofoxs to individuals or group of individuals who are qualified
26 
recipients of assistance under the TUPAD Program;
27 
c) 
Department or DOLE refers to the Department of Labor and
28 
Employment;
29 
d) 
Dispiaced workers refer to persons involuntarily terminated due to
30 
authorized causes of termination as provided under the Labor Code of the
31 
Philippines, technological advances, policy-related disruptions, and other


e)
1 
2
3
4
5
6
7
8 
9
10 
f)
11 
12
13
14 
g)
15
16
17
18
19
20 
21 
22
23 
j)
24
25
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k)
27
28
29
30
31
32
h)
0
I)
analogous causes. It also refers to Overseas Filipino Workers who have 
been involuntariiy separated from their jobs overseas.
Marginalized workers refer to workers deprived of education, health, 
employment, and other opportunities by reasons of poverty, geographical 
inaccessibility, culture, and gender, among others, and to workers who 
are less likely to have formal work arrangements, and are more likely to 
lack decent working conditions, adequate social security, and whose 
employment is characterized by inadequate earnings, iow productivity, 
and difficult conditions of work that undermine their fundamental rights; 
Self-employed refers to persons who operate their own businesses or 
trades and do not empioy paid workers in the conduct of their economic 
activities, including workers who work purely on commission basis and 
who may not have regular working hours;
Sub-professionals as used in this Act refer to individuals in the private 
sector involved in structured work in support of office operations or those 
engaged in arts, crafts, and manuai or clericai work;
TESDA refers to the Technicai Education and Skilis Deveiopment 
Authority;
TUPAD Program is a temporary wage empioyment assistance program 
for displaced, marginalized, and/or vulnerabie workers, aiso known as the 
Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers 
Program, and herein interchangeably referred to as TUPAD or Program; 
Underemployed workers refer to employed persons who express the 
desire to have additionai hours of work in their present job, or an 
additional job, or to have a new job with ionger working hours; 
Vulnerable workers refer to workers, local and overseas, including 
minimum wage earners, working poor, and marginalized workers, who 
are confronted by ex-anter\sk that if currently non-poor will fall below the 
poverty line, or if currently poor, will remain mired in poverty, or exposed 
to adverse shocks; and
Workers diS used in this Act refer to workers in the formal and informal 
economy or self-employed, whether overseas or local.


1 
Article II
2 
Wage Employment Assistance Program
3 
for Displaced, Marginalized, and/or Vulnerable Workers or TUPAD
4 
Program
5 
SEC. 5. Lead Agency and Convergence with Related Government
6 
Assistance Program. - The DOLE shall be the lead agency in 
the
7 
implementation of the 
TUPAD Program and shall be responsible in the
8 
administration, sourcing, assessment, and approval of all project proposals for
9 
funding from the appropriated funds for the implementation of the TUPAD
10 
Program.
11 
The Department shall integrate and collaborate with other government
12 
agencies, LGUs, business and labor groups, and civil society groups in
13 
implementing similar or related programs and services for an efficient and
14 
effective whole-of-nation approach in the delivery of social safety nets.
15 
SEC. 6. Eligible Projects for TUPAD; Counterpart Funding
16 
Requirement - Eligible employment projects that may be included under the
17 
Program shall include, but not be limited to, social community projects,
18 
economic projects, field works such as conduct of survey and profiling in
19 
partnership with government offices, agro-forestry community projects that
20 
promote green jobs, and provision of assistance to LGUs in the delivery of
21 
essential services. The Department, in coordination with relevant government
22 
agencies, LGUs, ACPs, and other relevant stakeholders, shall formulate and
23 
implement projects under the TUPAD Program that complements or utilizes the
24 
skill set of all categories of workers classified under the Philippines Standard
25 
Occupational Classification.
26 
The Department shall also set the duration of work for each project under
27 
the Program, with due regard to the nature of the work to be performed;
28 
Provided, That except as authorized by the Secretary of Labor and Employment
29 
in exceptional circumstances, the duration of each project under the TUPAD
30 
Program shall not be less than ten (10) days, nor exceed ninety (90) days.
31 
Consistent with applicable government auditing rules and regulations,
32 
ACPs and LGUs shall provide a counterpart funding of 20% of the total cost of


1 
the project. The funding may be in the form of labor, land for the project site,
2 
facilities, and equipment, among others, to be used in the project. The LGUs
3 
and ACPs may also provide technical assistance, which could be in the form of
4 
identification of projects, profiling of beneficiaries, procurement, monitoring,
5 
and facilitating access of services from other agencies.
6 
SEC. 7. Qualified Beneficiaries. - All displaced workers, marginalized,
7 
and/or vulnerable workers shall be qualified as beneficiaries under this Act;
8 
Provided, That the Secretary of Labor and Employment may, under appropriate
9 
circumstances, approve TUPAD projects that will include the underemployed
10 
and/or sub-professionals as beneficiaries under this Act.
11 
The Secretary of DOLE shall set standards on the TUPAD beneficiaries,
12 
including the allowable number of beneficiaries per household, the number of
13 
projects under the Program a qualified beneficiary may participate in, and such
14 
other relevant matters for the effective implementation of this Act, with a view
15 
to helping the greatest number of beneficiaries.
16 
SEC. 8. Modes of Implementation of the TUPAD Program. - The
17 
TUPAD Program shall be implemented by DOLE Regional Offices through any
18 
of the following modes:
19 
a) With an Accredited Co-Partner (ACP). Under this mode, the ACP shall be
20 
the Department's partner or conduit in the implementation of the
21 
program, provided they are registered with any registering body of the
22 
government and accredited by DOLE as an ACP; Provided, That
23 
Government agencies, LGUs, TESDA, and SUCs, shall automatically be
24 
TUPAD program partners, without need of accreditation; or
25 
b) DOLE Direct Administration. Under this mode, the administration and
26 
implementation of the TUPAD Program shall be undertaken directly by the
27 
Department's regional, provincial and/or field offices. In the event of
28 
massive displacement of workers resulting in serious disruption of means
29 
of livelihood, direct administration of wage employment projects shall be
30 
undertaken proactively by DOLE motu proprio, in collaboration with
31 
relevant government agencies and/or LGUs.


1 
SEC. 9. Wages and Compensation of Beneficiaries. - The wages
2 
and compensation of the beneficiaries shall not be less than 100% of the
3 
highest prevailing minimum wage rate set by the Regional Wages and
4 
Productivity Board (RTWPB) in the region where the project will be
5 
implemented. The beneficiaries shall be enrolled in a group micro-insurance
6 
and shall be provided with the appropriate training, safety tools and proper
7 
equipment.
8 
The Department shall use automated banking facilities, money remittance
9 
providers, and electronic/digital wallets as primary mode of wage disbursement
10 
for the beneficiaries of this Act. Under exceptional circumstances, such as
11 
TUPAD projects in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas, or non-
12 
operation of wage disbursement mechanisms due to public emergencies,
13 
including war, armed conflict, epidemics/outbreaks or public health
14 
emergencies, the Secretary of Labor and Employment may authorize direct
15 
cash pay-out to TUPAD beneficiaries.
16 
SEC. 10. Prohibited Acts.- The. Department shall establish mechanisms
17 
to ensure compliance with the provisions of this Act. It shall provide a list of
18 
prohibited activities, such as, but not limited to, cuts for commission, job
19 
sharing, ghost beneficiaries, duplicate beneficiaries, and padding of
20 
beneficiaries.
21 
Any violation of this provision shall result in the blacklisting of the ACP,
22 
including the reimbursement of the amount involved, with legal interest,
23 
without prejudice to the filing of criminal and other related cases. If the ACP is
24 
an LGU or SUC, the LGU or SUC shall immediately address such deficiency
25 
and/or error, without prejudice to applicable rules and regulations of the
26 
Commission on Audit (COA), and the filing of civil, criminal or administrative
27 
actions against erring officials and government employees. In case of direct
28 
administration, the responsible DOLE personnel shall be subjected to
29 
administrative investigation, without prejudice to the filing of appropriate civil,
30 
criminal or administrative case.
31 
SEC.ll. Authority to Receive and Administer Donations for
32 
TUPAD Program. - The Department is hereby authorized under this Act to


1 
receive donations from government and non-government organizations and to
2 
administer the same strictly and exclusively for the beneficiaries of the TUPAD
3 
Program, subject to relevant accounting and auditing rules and regulations.
4 
SEC. 12. Monitoring/ Reporting, and Evaluation of the TUPAD
5 
Program, - The Department shall establish a standardized monitoring,
6 
evaluation and reporting system to properly document every approved project
7 
under the Program.
8 
It shall also submit to Congress, and make available to the public, an
9 
annual accomplishment report and utilization of the funds earmarked for the
10 
implementation of the Program. The annual report shall include the pertinent
11 
details of every project under the Program, the mode of implementation,
12 
number of beneficiaries, donations from private and other organizations,
13 
expenditures, number of beneficiaries who acquired employment after their
14 
participation in the Program, and other pertinent information as may be
15 
necessary. An impact evaluation shall be conducted from time to time, but not
16 
later than every three years.
17 
SEC. 13. Grievance Mechanisms. - The Department shall establish
18 
grievance mechanisms for the filing or reporting of complaints, grievances, or
19 
violations provided in this Act and other related laws arising from the
20 
implementation of the TUPAD Program. For this purpose, the Department shall
21 
ensure that all beneficiaries and stakeholders of the Program have access to
22 
these grievance mechanisms.
23 
Article III
24 
Miscellaneous Provisions
25 
SEC. 14. Appropriations. - The funds for the initial implementation of
26 
this Act shall be sourced from the current budget of the Department for the
27 
implementation of the TUPAD Program. Thereafter, the amount necessary for
28 
its continued implementation shall be included in the annual General
29 
Appropriations Act; Provided, That such appropriation shall take into
30 
consideration an administration cost of not more than 5%, subject to periodic
31 
review and appropriate recommendation for increase, whenever necessary. For


1 
this purpose, the Department shall issue the appropriate guidelines on the
2 
utilization and management of the administration cost.
3 
SEC. 15. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within ninety (90)
4 
days from the effectivity of this Act, the DOLE shall, in consultation with TESDA,
5 
DPWH, DENR, DILG, Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, National Anti-
6 
Poverty Commission (NAPC), and other relevant government agencies and
7 
other stakeholders, issue the necessary rules and regulations for the effective
8 
implementation of this Act.
9 
SEC. 16. Separability Clause. - Any portion or provision of this Act that
10 
is declared unconstitutional or invalid shall not have the effect of nullifying other
11 
portions or provisions hereof as long as such remaining portions can still subsist
12 
and be given effect in their entirety.
13 
SEC. 17. Repealing Clause. - All laws, ordinances, rules, regulations,
14 
other issuances or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with this Act, are
15 
hereby repealed or modified accordingly. Nothing in this Act shall result in the
16 
diminution of the benefits and/or assistance given to overseas Filipinos and
17 
migrant workers as provided in other laws, ordinances, rules, regulations, and
18 
issuances.
19 
SEC. 18. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after
20 
its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,
8