Manila, Oct. 22 -- The reduced funding for the labor department's emergency employment programs, such as the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) in its proposed 2026 budget, would cut the number of beneficiaries by over one million.

During the Senate Committee on Finance hearing Wednesday, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) officials said the reduction would shrink TUPAD's coverage from 4.2 million beneficiaries in 2024 to about three million next year.

The program faces a PHP6.31-billion cut under the agency's proposed PHP44.382-billion budget for 2026.

DOLE Assistant Secretary Amuerfina Reyes said the reduction would directly affect beneficiaries who rely on the program during calamities and ...