TUPAD beneficiaries warned against scammers

SAN JUAN  City Mayor Francis Zamora has cautioned the beneficiaries of the government's Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) to be wary against scammers.   

Zamora made the warning in a Facebook post on Tuesday as he announced that the first batch of the TUPAD beneficiaries will receive details as to when and where Palawan Express branch they can get their compensations for working under the program.

The local government has partnered with the 'Palawan Express Pera Padala', a money remittance service provider, for the distribution of TUPAD workers' cash allowances.

He said the beneficiaries are expected to receive text messages from Palawan Express before the end of this week.

"Ang text po ay naglalaman ng mga impormasyon kung kailan at saang Palawan branch ninyo maaring i-claim ang inyong sahod sa TUPAD (The message contains information on when and where Palawan branch you are going to claim your salary from TUPAD)," he added.

However, Zamora alerted the beneficiaries to be vigilant against text messages from some individuals pretending as representatives of the Palawan Express Pera Padala and deceive users into giving critical information, including Palawan account details.

Zamora urged the beneficiaries to transact only with the authorized Palawan Express branch and not to anyone who is suspected to be phishing.

"Huwag i-forward sa ibang tao o numero ang natanggap na text mula sa Palawan Express Pera Padala (Do not forward to other people the text message came from the Palawan Express Pera Padala)," he said.

Administered by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) through the local government units, TUPAD program is a community-based package of assistance that provides emergency employment for displaced workers, underemployed and seasonal workers amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

The DOLE earlier said the community quarantine measures imposed to contain the Covid-19 have affected over 3 million workers throughout the country. (By Lade Jean Kabagani)