Tacloban City. Two hundred fifty members of 20 associations, all beneficiaries of DSWD’s Sustainable Livelihood Program’s (SLP) Enterprise Capital Assistance – Super typhoon Yolanda (ECA- STY), recently received checks. The amounts range from P10, 000.00 to P460, 000.00 depending on the beneficiaries’ choice of business, during a turn-over ceremony held at the Balyu-an Grounds, this city.
During the program, Policy and Plans Division Chief Yvonne Abonales challenged them to work hard in order to sustain their businesses, inspite of the divergent personalities of their members. “Magkugi tanan. Kapti hin maupay an proyekto para maglago”, (Let everyone be industrious. Manage the project well for it to prosper) she told the members present. “Funds have to revolve for others to be able to use them. Implement projects according to the signed contract in order to help others who would want to borrow and use the money, as well”, she continued.
Tacloban’s City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) Project Evaluation Officer II Ines Salvoro, also the city’s Livelihood focal person, mentioned that this is the fourth turn-over ceremony from DSWD FO VIII to Tacloban City. There are five more projects to be handed over by DSWD to Tacloban City. “Hina-ut unta upayun niyo ini pagmangno kay group project ini” (May all of you take care of this well, as this is a group project), she said.
According to Tacloban SLP Program Development Officer (PDO) Russel Gariando, the fund, coursed through the Post-Yolanda Recovery and Rehabilitation Program (YRRP) aims to give livelihood support to the affected communities. This serves as financial support for indigent families under DSWD’s rehabilitation program for STY affected families.
The provision of sustainable livelihood to poor families is one of the programs that DSWD focuses on. With the assistance fund, the association is expected to generate funds per month from their businesses.
SLP, a community-based capacity-building program that seeks to improve the socio-economic status of its participants, is implemented using the Community-Driven Enterprise Development approach which enables participants to contribute to production and labor markets by looking at available resources and accessible markets.
The program has two tracks from which beneficiaries have the option to choose from after undergoing capacity building activities – the Micro-Enterprise Development Track and the Employment Facilitation Track.
Under the Micro-Enterprise Development Track, program participants may avail of seed capital assistance from DSWD, while the Employment Facilitation Track facilitates access to employment opportunities based on their qualifications.