By Stephanie Sevillano | Philippine News Agency
The Department of Agriculture (D.A.) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) have partnered to hire workers for the wider rollout of Kadiwa ng Pangulo (KNP) programs alongside the target expansion of P20/kg rice under “Benteng Bigas Meron (BBM) Na”.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. and Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) on Monday to help both local farmers and consumers in line with the directives of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
In an interview, Laurel said the partnership will allow DOLE to supplement the DA’s need for additional manpower.
“Let’s say, 3,000 (KNP) outlets. 3,000 outlets na dalawang tao (two individuals) per outlet, that will entail 6,000 workers,” he said.
In particular, the DOLE eyes the hiring of Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced (TUPAD) workers.
On top of the 6,000 KNP operators or sellers, Laurel said at least 1,000 personnel are needed for logistics, including drivers and porters.
Laguesma, however, clarified that the total number of TUPAD workers for KNP is yet to be determined.
“Kasi po ang implementasyon po ng TUPAD ay meron pong guidelines. May minimum days (of work) na pwede at maximum days. So, ang minimum is 10 days at 90 days ang maximum,” he said.
Besides this, the partnership will also allow the agencies to supply P20 rice to more minimum wage earners under the BBM Na.
“Ang target ngayon sa mga minimum wage earners instead of 120,000 in initial, towards the end of the year, as per request of Sec. Benny, targetin na mga almost 500,000 to 600,000 workers ang bigyan ng allocation,” Laurel said.
On June 13, at least 16,000 minimum wage earners in about 100 establishments benefited from the nationwide simultaneous launching of BBM Na for minimum wage earners.
“Eventually nga, papasok din yan iyong pork, yung chicken, itlog, vegetables, isda, bangus, tilapia, tsaka mga iba’t iba pang mga produkto na baka pati cooking oil isama dyan sa expansion ng Kadiwa ng Pangulo program natin,” Tiu Laurel said.
Aside from more companies with BBM Na, the D.A. and DOLE will also allow labor unions and federations to roll out KNP programs.
To date, seven labor organizations have been accredited for KNP operations, benefitting 152 members in Central Luzon, CALABARZON, Eastern Visayas, and Central Visayas; while six more are targeted to be included from other regions.
The D.A. also partnered with the Philippine Carabao Center to integrate 48 dairy box outlets for the continuous KNP expansion.
