Dole Partners with Bangladesh NGO for Enhanced Filipino Livelihood Programs

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) and a Bangladesh-based development organization have partnered to explore more stable livelihood opportunities for many Filipinos, the agency said on Tuesday. Dole secretary Francis Tolentino met with representatives of BRAC to discuss the “graduation approach” of Dole Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP) on Monday. BRAC is a non-government organization that works for poverty alleviation and supports livelihood development across Asia and Africa. READ: Dole: ‘Historic’ P85 wage hike set for Metro Manila workers The agency said that Tolentino suggested the expansion of pilot implementation areas of the “graduation approach” to reach more vulnerable communities. The said approach is the agency’s poverty model which integrates livelihood development, social protection and empowerment, and financial inclusion for self-reliant income earners. “The initiative initially covered Regions 1, 5, 8, and 10, targeting 500 households per region, for a total of around 2,000 households. In the pilot rollout, 71 percent of 1,800 households met graduation criteria, resulting in improved welfare and stronger livelihood outcomes,” the Dole said in a press release. “To guide implementation, DOLE issued a framework for regional offices covering graduation criteria, outcome indicators, coaching arrangements, monitoring systems, and governance mechanisms,” the agency added. READ: Over 1,000 GenSan fisherfolk benefit from Tupad program after earthquake The agency also noted that it renewed its partnership with BRAC in December 2023 to improve the “graduation approach” of the DILP. The DILP provides starter kits and tools, training, and support to informal workers and other vulnerable sectors. Meanwhile, Tolentino also met with Malaysian envoy Abdul Malik Melvin Castelino on Monday for a separate courtesy call. “During the meeting, Secretary Francis N. Tolentino and Ambassador Castelino discussed expanding cooperation in skills training, green jobs, technology-driven upskilling, workforce development, and certification for the halal food industry, as well as other initiatives to help Filipino workers gain skills that align with the changing demands of the regional labor market,” the Dole said in a separate press release. Tolentino also eyed a “faster time, embassy-to-department engagement” for the issuance of alien employment permits (AEP) for Malaysian nationals. Such a permit is required for foreigners who are working in the Philippines. Dole noted that it issued 2,029 AEPs to Malaysian nationals employed in the country. /cb