Thirty-four members of the Katutubong Burog Indigenous People Agricultural Cooperative in Bamban, Tarlac received a total of P204,000 in wages from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) through its Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program.

Implemented in partnership with the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the municipal government of Bamban as part of the Philippine Independence Day celebration, the initiative provided emergency employment while supporting long-term livelihood opportunities for indigenous communities.

Each beneficiary received P6,000 after completing 10 days of emergency work planting ube (purple yam) tubers across a two-hectare site.

DOLE Tarlac Officer-in-Charge Jayson Ocampo said the project demonstrates how collaboration among government agencies can create a greater impact for communities.

“Sa pamamagitan ng pagtutulungan ng DOLE, DA, LGU, at PESO, hindi lamang tayo nakapagbigay ng agarang kita sa ating mga katutubong manggagawa, kundi nakapaglatag din tayo ng pundasyon para sa pangmatagalang kabuhayan at mas inklusibong kaunlaran sa lalawigan ng Tarlac,” Ocampo said.

The cooperative was previously identified by the DA as a beneficiary of the Kabuhayan at Kaunlaran ng Kababayang Katutubo Program, through which it received 150 ube tubers.

The crop is expected to be harvested by November and processed into ube powder for direct sale to Market Reach Company, providing the cooperative with a potential sustainable source of income.

By linking emergency employment with agricultural enterprise development, the initiative aims to strengthen the economic resilience of indigenous communities while expanding their participation in local value chains.