Manila: The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is looking to deploy about 240,000 beneficiaries of the government's TUPAD or 'Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced' Workers program to clean and repair classrooms in 5,000 schools nationwide starting Monday.

According to Philippines News Agency, Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino stated that the deployment will be in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd) to support schools before the opening of classes next month. "The repair and renovation of classrooms will provide jobs for our countrymen nationwide," he said in a radio interview Saturday.

Among the tasks of the TUPAD beneficiaries will be painting, cleaning, repairing facilities, and other classroom maintenance work. The program is also in coordination with the Parent-Teacher Associations. Tolentino said the rollout will be implemented simultaneously nationwide, involving more than 200,000 classrooms.

He noted that TUPAD is being expanded from being a disaster-response measure to becoming a tool for boosting the local economy. "The concept of TUPAD is that it can really help the local economy," Tolentino said. He said the program aligns with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s directive to help displaced workers.