FACT CHECK: TUPAD job posts offering P800 daily salary are fake – DOLE

Claim:  The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) posted a job opening for its Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program that offers a daily salary of P800.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: Searching the keywords “DOLE TUPAD is now hiring” on Facebook yields several false claims about the program that use the same graphics to advertise the supposed job opening. 

One version of the claim came from the page “DSWD Updates 2024” which has 643 likes and 1,000 followers. As of writing, the post has received 571 combined reactions, 761 comments, and 52 shares. 

The post, which uses the logo of the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC), said elementary, high school, and college graduates aged 18 to 50 years old can apply for the supposed job opening in the TUPAD program, which offers a daily salary of P800.

The posts also included a supposed link for the submission of applications.

The facts: In an email to Rappler on Thursday, February 15, the DOLE Information and Publication Service Office said that these Facebook posts are spreading disinformation about the department’s TUPAD program.

Various regional offices of the agency, such as DOLE-CALABARZON, DOLE-NCR, DOLE-MIMAROPA, and DOLE-CARAGA have also debunked the fake posts and warned the public about the unauthorized hiring of beneficiaries for the TUPAD program. 

The misleading Facebook posts may also put users at risk of falling victim to phishing scams, as the supposed application links direct to an unverified website, and not the official DOLE website. 

About TUPAD: The TUPAD Program is a community-based package of assistance that provides emergency employment for displaced, underemployed, and seasonal workers for a period of 10 to 90 days, depending on the nature of work to be performed.

According to DOLE’s Department Order No. 239 Series of 2023, TUPAD is implemented either through direct administration by the labor department, through its regional, provincial, or field offices, or through accredited co-partners, such as local government units.

Only one member per family is eligible for the program. Qualified beneficiaries can avail themselves of assistance only once per calendar year, except in cases of natural or human-induced disaster or calamity.

TUPAD salary: Contrary to the claim, TUPAD beneficiaries do not earn P800 per day. Under the cash-for-work program, the beneficiaries’ salary is based on the highest prevailing minimum wage in the region where they are employed. 

According to the National Wages and Productivity Commission, the highest minimum wage in the Philippines is P610 in the National Capital Region. (READ: TRACKER: Minimum wages in the Philippines)

Not in charge: The Information and Publication Service Office of the department also explained that the NLRC, a quasi-judicial agency attached to the DOLE tasked to adjudicate labor and management disputes, is not responsible for implementing TUPAD. 

Instead, it is the DOLE’s Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns that serves as the TUPAD program manager.

Fact-checked: Rappler has debunked multiple fake hiring posts supposedly from government offices: 

• FACT CHECK: Post on teacher job openings not from DepEd (January 13, 2024)
• FACT CHECK: PH Coast Guard recruitment for 2024 not yet open (January 7, 2024)
• FACT CHECK: Link for ‘PNP Non-Uniformed Personnel’ application is fake (December 24, 2023)
• FACT CHECK: Job posts circulating online are fake – BIR (July 31, 2023)

Official accounts: For official updates on DOLE’s programs and services, refer to its official website, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter),  Instagram, and YouTube accounts. – Larry Chavez/Rappler.com

Larry Chavez is a graduate of Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program. This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.

Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.