DOLE-TUPAD augments DepEd-Bicol’s Brigada Eskwela

By Bobby Q. Labalan

Legazpi City --- Labor force in this year’s Brigada Eskwela in Bicol Region was reinforced by thousands of workers sponsored by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) as the annual school preparation program kicks off June 3 at Labo Central School in Labo, Camarines Norte.

The event was led by DepEd-Bicol Regional Director Gilbert Sadsad, Assistant Regional Director bebiano Sentillas, Educational Support Service Division Chief Joan Lagata, Curriculum and Learning Management Division Chief Grace Rabelas together with DOLE-Bicol Regional Director Imelda Gatinao Camarines Norte Governor Ricarte Padilla, Labo Mayor Jojo Francisco, Board Member Arnold Balane and schools division superintendents from various provinces and cities in the region.

Gatinao said some 19,348 beneficiaries under the TUlong Pangkabuhayan sa Ating Displaced/Disadvantaged Worker (TUPAD) Program were fanned out in the six provinces of the region where they will work in 1,295 schools

In Camarines Norte alone which hosted the launching activity had 5,827 beneficiaries distributed in 254 schools in the province’s eleven municipalities, Gatinao said.

The TUPAD beneficiaries, some of whom are delivery riders, will work for 10 days for a total labor cost of P103.2 million to be paid by DOLE.

In his message, Sadsad thanked the various agencies and organizations who provided assistance to the annual clean-up event as he rallied the parents to join hands in pursuing the government’s objective of providing a quality education to their children.

He urged everyone to persevere and not lose hope stressing that education will bring so many blessings, as he related his own personal experience during his youth.

Sadsad lamented on the situation of the present generation of youth who are pampered by their parents and are no longer adept at hard work and who lack resilience.

Sadsad urged everyone to hone the young generation into resilience, endow them with good manners and provide them with positive view so they would be able to achieve their goals in life.

This year’s Brigada Eskwela centers on the theme “Bayanihan sa Paaralan: Nagkakaisa Para sa Kaayusan at Kaalaman”.

Department of Education officials led by Regional Director Gilbert Sadsad (6th from left) together with Camarines Norte Governor Ricarte Padilla and DOLE-Bicol Regional Director (7th and 8th from left) led the regional launching of teh annual Brigada Eskwela at Labo, Camarines Norte. (Photo: PIA-Bicol FB Page)