Tinio on Dole’s proposed 2027 budget: ‘Ayuda agency’

MANILA, Philippines — Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio criticized the gradual budget increase of the Department of Labor and Employment’s (Dole) assistance programs, saying it is becoming an “ayuda agency.”

During the House of Representatives’ committee of appropriations’ hearing of the Dole’s budget for 2027, Tinio raised concern over the additional P10.25 billion budget request of the agency for the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (Tupad) program.

“Why did Dole become an aid-distributing agency? Is that Dole’s function now — to be just another agency that hands out aid?” he raised during the budget interpellation.

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Under the 2027 National Expenditure Program, Tupad’s initial fund amounted to P14.25 billion.

According to the solon, if the additional requested budget for the program is approved, it would stagger to P24.5 billion, which is significantly higher compared to its allocation to other projects.

“Tesda lacks the funds for long-term skills development. Instead of expanding Tupad, programs that provide workers with decent jobs should be strengthened, rather than temporary handouts,” he expressed, referring to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

He noted that the fund allocated for Tupad only represents 36 percent, or P3.2 billion, of the agency’s total budget in 2016.

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However, in 2026, it increased by 588% or P22.44 billion under the General Appropriations Act, he emphasized.

“Year after year, we have been expanding Tupad. So, we must ask ourselves: Where is Dole headed? Is it an agency for labor, or an agency for aid? It is time to stop bloating Tupad and return Dole to its true mandate — as a defender of the Filipino worker, not a distributor of relief,” he stressed.

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He then called on the Congress to redirect the resources to genuine programs for the workers’ benefit instead of “inflating Tupad insertions during budget deliberations.” /das