TAGOLOAN, Misamis Oriental — For Arriane Canlom, a mother and resident of Barangay Sta. Ana, days are usually spent working quietly behind the scenes — stretching budgets, sacrificing needs, and hoping tomorrow will be kinder.
But recently, the routine changed. Canlom was chosen for the Tulong Pang-Hanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers Tupad program. For her, it felt like receiving something precious: a chance.
“I’m so happy kay naapil ko ani. Murag gasa ba nga gihatag sa amo nga mga kapos. Unya 30 days pa gyud — happy kaayo ko,” she said, smiling as she recalled her experience.
To Canlom, Tupad was more than emergency work. It was a gift of experience — a rare opportunity to step outside her usual domestic routine, learn new tasks, and rediscover what she is capable of achieving.
Canlom is among a group of women given the privilege to work under the program for 30 days, assigned to a company in Tagoloan.
Restoring confidence
Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) Regional Director Joffrey Suyao emphasized that the program is designed to do exactly what Canlom experienced.
Speaking at the Northern Mindanao Socio-Economic Media Forum last week, Suyao noted that Tupad is a strategic effort to ease poverty by offering disadvantaged workers not just wages, but opportunities to rebuild confidence and skills.
DOLE stressed that poverty reduction is a “whole-of-government” and “whole-of-society” effort, ensuring that programs like Tupad become accessible avenues for communities that need them most.
For the beneficiaries, the program provides:
Economic relief: 10 to 30 days of paid work.
Flexibility: Schedules that allow mothers to manage work alongside childcare.
Experience: Exposure to community service and new skills they can carry forward.
A blessing of dignity
For Canlom, the opportunity served as a gentle reminder that even in difficult times, hope arrives in unexpected ways.
“Maski gamay ra, gasa gyud ni para namo. Maka survive mi, makakat-on pa gyud ko,” she added.
In a world where mothers often give everything, the program provided a rare moment when something meaningful was given back — a blessing wrapped not in luxury, but in work, dignity, and the chance to stand a little stronger.
