Als Program In The Philippines

[Dinah Lianes]

OnFebruary 20, the United States government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), launched the U.S.-Philippines Partnership for Skills, Innovation, and Lifelong Learning (UPSKILL) Program, a five-year, Php1.6-billion ($30 million) initiative that will help Philippine higher education become more globally competitive by strengthening innovation, workforce development, and entrepreneurship in colleges and universities.

The UPSKILL Program is implemented by RTI International through a consortium of U.S. universities, which includes Arizona State University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, and Philippine partners such as Edukasyon.ph and the Philippine Business for Education.

Officials from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the Second Congressional Education Commission, the Department of Science and Technology, the Department of Trade and Industry, the National Economic and Development Authority, and the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines, as well as representatives from several Philippine universities attended the program launch.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) manages the TUPAD #BKBK program (Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers, Barangay Ko, Bahay Ko). The TUPAD #BKBK program provides the minimum wage to unemployed informal sector workers to perform disinfection and sanitation work of their dwellings and the surrounding areas for 10 days. Individuals will also undergo an orientation on safety and health and be enrolled in group micro-insurance (insurance policies specifically targeted to disadvantaged individuals).

The DOLE is expanding the emergency program to allow local government units to provide short-time employment for delivery of essential goods and services, including PPE. Local governments can also hire workers for the packaging of support equipment, transportation of front-line workers, and sanitation and disinfection of communities.

At the end of April, the DOLE announced that it planned to continue to leverage the TUPAD program during the COVID-19 recovery phase. The post-COVID TUPAD program, which has PHP 4 billion in funding, is set to operate in May and June in regions under the general community quarantine.

Providing short-term public employment appears to be a relatively uncommon emergency measure to support informal sector workers. However, the Philippines is also providing financial assistance in the form of cash grants to individuals, including those in the informal sector. The Emergency Subsidy Program is a PHP 205 billion emergency subsidy program for 18 million low-income families. Families with low incomes, including those who work in informal sector jobs, are eligible. Families receive between PHP 5,000 and 8,000 for two months. By May 2, PHP 60.6 billion had been distributed to 11.3 million beneficiaries, and the government added an additional 5 million families on May 4. The Department of Social Welfare and Development will also provide Livelihood Assistance Grants (LAGs) to beneficiaries of the existing Sustainable Livelihood Program, who have at least one family member who works in the informal sector who is displaced by the lockdown measures. LAGs will be granted after the quarantine ends.

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines - Students from the Marasbaras National High School in Tacloban City, Philippines, will soon be able to attend classes indoors thanks to efforts by Airmen and Soldiers from the Guam National Guard, the Hawaii National Guard and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

The project was geared primarily to support the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Reserve Command through Subject Matter Expert Exchanges (SMEEs) during a Engineer Civic Action Project (ENCAP) outreach here from July through August.

The mission, under the National Guard's State Partnership Program (SPP), also helps strengthen relations between the Republic of the Philippines and the U.S. The Philippines is the state partner to the Guam and Hawaii National Guard.

Seven classrooms in three buildings at the school were severely damaged in November of last year when Typhoon Haiyan swept through and devastated parts of the Philippines, but especially in Tacloban City, where more than 6,000 people died and many more were displaced.

In her welcoming remarks, Iris C. Ting, chairman, Barangay 81 Marasbaras, said, "we are all witnesses of a very momentous event, the turnover ceremony of school buildings. Ten months ago, the strongest typhoon ever recorded swept across our city. We have seen damages it brought to our homes, buildings and properties, not to mention the lives that were lost. But God turned it around and opened doors and opportunities to rebuild what was lost. New friendships were forged, one of which was through the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Guam National Guard and Hawaii National Guard State Partnership Program (SPP)."

Rear Adm. Romeo Santiago O. Nebres, deputy chief of staff for reserve and retiree affairs for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), thanked all who participated in the rebuilding of the school buildings - the Guam National Guard, the Hawaii National Guard, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and even the Republic of Korea. "This project signifies and shows what can be accomplished when we help each other. There could not be any better investment we can do than to invest in the education of the next generation of our citizens. This project spanned two months, but will touch the lives of so many children for many years to come."

The project began in July with teams of Airmen and Soldiers from the Guam Guard's 254th Red Horse Squadron, the 1224th Engineer Support Company and the Hawaii Guard's 230th Engineers rotating every few weeks through completion of the humanitarian assistance project.

"It's a new beginning for the students of Marasbaras National High School. We are very excited to have been able to support, work and train alongside the engineer professionals from Armed Forces of the Philippines and the local government with the wonderful consequences of providing needed relief support to the residents of Barangay Marasbaras. Our reward is seeing your smiling faces and knowing that in some way, we were able to help you."

"Today is for the students and the people of Tacloban City, which is truly the reason why we are here," said Maj. Gen. Darryll D.M. Wong, the adjutant general of the Hawaii National Guard. "After taking care of the most basic needs of food, water and shelter, the most important aspect of any recovery operation is getting the schools operational again. Education is not just the key to ensure the next generation prepare for the future, it's the best indicator that a disaster area is returning to normal. Getting students back to class in a real classroom where they can study the way they deserve is our gift to the people of Tacloban."

The high school serves hundreds of students who have had to attend classes outdoors since the typhoon, according to Basilisa D. Negru, the school principal. There are a total of 14 buildings in the school, three of which were just rebuilt and are now in working condition.

"These buildings and other accessories, including comfort rooms, ceiling fans and lights - it is now properly lit and well ventilated - they were built to the highest standards of design and construction and will last for decades and longer. They are a sign of dedication and commitment from our heroes, the people of Guam, the people of Hawaii and the Armed Forces of the Philippines," Negru said.

"After Typhoon Yolanda, few students had an interest in coming back to school because there was nothing to return to. We strived so hard to keep school running. Thanks to the members of the Guam National Guard, the Hawaii National Guard and the Armed Forces of the Philippines who painstakingly worked for the completion of these buildings. I am proud and pleased at the quality of this project, but what I am most proud of is that this was more than just a project of brick and mortar that was placed, but the relationships we have built, the personal and professional experiences we have shared. Working shoulder to shoulder in the spirit of bayanihan, the kind of spirit is far stronger than the physical structure itself. We say thank you and salute our heroes!"

The project included demolishing and replacing existing roofing panels and damaged structures, constructing new roofs, upgrading the electrical system, installing light fixtures and ceiling fans and replacing windows and doors in three buildings and seven classrooms. The service members also helped repair a flagpole, restore and rebuild the stage and refurbish the landscape which has flooding problems.

The State Partnership Program (SPP) has existed in the Philippines since 2001. The SPP is a Department of Defense-sponsored program administered by NGB, partnering Guard units from different states with selected countries for nation-building, among other projects.

According to Paulino, "since this partnership was initiated, we have been one of the most active in the National Guard, completing over 70 events in 12 years. Events include medical and engineering missions, specialized training and leader visits that have allowed us to learn from each other and exchange subject matter expertise. There are so much more we can do and as long as I am able, we will always work to help the Philippines," he said.

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