The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office VIII conducted the SLP Sulong Dunong Forum: Capacity Building Assembly on 28–29 May 2025, at Sabin Resort Hotel, Ormoc City.

The two-day forum brought together representatives from local government units (LGUs) and Sustainable Livelihood Program Associations (SLPAs) from across the region. The event was held in two batches.

Batch 1, held on May 28, included LGUs and SLPAs from Eastern Samar, Samar, and Northern Samar. Municipalities represented were Balangkayan, Giporlos, Sulat, and Salcedo (Eastern Samar); San Jorge, Sta. Margarita, Calbiga, and Jiabong (Samar); and Allen, Lavezares, Mondragon, and Pambujan (Northern Samar).

Batch 2, held on May 29, gathered participants from Leyte, Southern Leyte, and Biliran. From Leyte, the Leyte 1 Cluster included Tolosa, Carigara, Barugo, and Tacloban City, while the Leyte 2 Cluster included Matag-ob, Merida, Ormoc City, Baybay City, and Hilongos. Southern Leyte participants came from Maasin City, Tomas Oppus, Bontoc, Liloan, and Hinunangan; Almeria, Biliran, Caibiran, Culaba, Kawayan, and Maripip from Biliran Province.

The forum focused on building the skills and knowledge of LGU partners and SLPA members to help them manage and sustain their microenterprise.

Among the key resource speakers were Dioscoro Gasatan Jr. of the Department of Agriculture who presented marketing strategies on farm products; Julius Ceasar Caballes of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), who discussed fisheries-related enterprise; Gerlen Lagrosa of the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), who talked about cooperative development; and Atty. Jonalyndie Chua, the legal officer of DSWD Field Office VIII, who provided legal perspective on the procedures in handling complaints.

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