Around 1, 501 Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) household beneficiaries of Hinunangan, Southern Leyte, used their P600 subsidy to buy rice purposely from the Sustainable Livelihood Program Associations (SLPA).
Sacks of rice were already prepositioned by the SLPA in the payout venue so that the beneficiaries will be able to buy the goods right after they receive their conditional cash grants.
Said associations include the Sto. Niño II Convenience Store, Ingan Pantawid SLPA, Badiangon Pantawid SLPA, Calinao Bigasan SLPA, San Pedro Pantawid SLPA, and Donya Martha Livelihood SLPA.
DSWD’s Sustainable Livelihood Program is a community-based capacity building program which increases the economic opportunities of the identified poorest of the poor families through different modalities that it offers such as skills training, seed capital fund, pre-employment assistance fund, and the cash for building livelihood assets.
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Most of SLPA members are 4Ps recipients.
“Napakalaking tulong ng rice subsidy. Siguradong makabili ng bigas para may makakain ang pamilya at may income pa ang aming livelihood (The rice subsidy is such a huge help. Through it, we are sure to be able to buy rice for the family and our livelihood will earn an income),” shared 4Ps parent leader and SLP participant Josephine Jimenez, 52 years old, with five children.
4Ps beneficiaries who comply with the program conditionalities recently received rice subsidy in the form of cash amounting to P600.00 per month on top of their regular cash grants.
Josephine shared that the rice distribution guidelines do not expressly limit them as to who will be their rice provider. Together with fellow beneficiaries, they agreed to intentionally buy rice goods from their very own SLPA so ensure that the subsidy will be used to its intended purpose and their bigasan livelihood will have an income.
Such undertaking was supported and encouraged by SLP officer Emma Dumas, Municipal Links Janice Arceo and Roxanne Lopos, Municipal Roving Bookkeeper Leny Rapada, Social Welfare Assistants Celine Quimen, and Hinunangan MSWDO Lolita Dadap.
Regional Director Restituto Macuto then commended the said good practice and accentuated that success and inclusive development is indeed a collective action.
Such convergence initiative of 4Ps and SLP is also being done in other parts of Eastern Visayas.
“Gamitin sa tama ang pera. Bigyang halaga ang napakalaking tulong sa atin ng gobyerno (Use the grant in its intended purpose. Value the tremendous help provided to us by the government),” Josephine added.