DEPARTMENT of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma today said they are already reviewing the supposed lapses in the implementation of DOLE’s program for displaced workers.
Laguesma said the DOLE was able to receive findings from the Commission on Audit (COA) about the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers or TUPAD program.
He said they have already started the review of existing guidelines and why the COA came up with those findings so that they can fix their implementation process.
In COA’s 2021 annual audit report of the DOLE, the COA pointed out that some of the department’s financial assistance released in some regions cannot be determined due to various issues, including “unliquidated fund transfers.”
“The propriety and/or validity of the financial assistance granted to the various beneficiaries for TUPAD could not be ascertained in the Central Office, National Capital Region, Regional Offices I, III, V, IX, XII and XIII due to unliquidated fund transfers, unavailable/invalid/incorrect numbers, and no contact details of the beneficiaries,” according to the report.
The COA likewise advised DOLE to look at other concerns such as those related to unutilized balances in various regions, plus the implementation of TUPAD that involved the local government units in order to avoid issues.
On the other hand, Laguesma said these lapses should not hinder the implementation of TUPAD, which is a truly beneficial program.