LA PAZ, ABRA – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) through its Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) granted a total of P 504,645.00 worth of livelihood assistance to 30 indigents here.
In partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) of Abra, members of the Liguis Runo Weavers Sustainable Livelihood Program Association (SLPA) underwent a four-day skills training on reed crafts making which ran from 7 to 10 May 2019.
Liguis Runo Weavers SLPA has 30 members, 17 of them are Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries while 13 are Listahanan-identified poor. Currently, the members are reliant on their income from farming, selling unfurnished reed craft products and daily labor.
The weavers sell their products at very low price due to lack of proper furnishing and substandard designs. After the training, they are expected to produce various quality crafts like wine carriers, placemats, trays and star vases that they can sell for PhP150 or higher per piece.
“We would like to ensure that this livelihood will help improve their economic status such that these give them a permanent source of income. We also encourage other stakeholders to support the livelihood endeavors of our participants”, DSWD-CAR Director Janet P. Armas said.
Director Armas added that aside from providing livelihood, SLP also supports the enterprise development of its beneficiaries in the context of competitiveness like product development, pricing, and gaining market access.
“Ayaten mi ti aramid mi kasla panag-ayat mi iti bagi mi tapnu napintas iti maibunga na kadagitoy inted da nga pang progreso an iti biag, pang-adal ti anak tayo launay tanu napintas ti bunga na dagitoy nga produkto, dagiyay anak tayo ti agsagrap, makalpas da ti adal da ken magatang da iti kayat da (We will love our work as we love ourselves for us to produce quality and beautiful crafts. This is not for us rather for our children’s future for them to finish their school so they can buy their desires),” said SLPA member Rosalie Cate.
SLP is a capacity-building program for poor, vulnerable and marginalized households and communities to help improve their socio-economic conditions through provision of Seed Capital Fund (SCF) and Skills Training (ST) modalities.
SCF is a grant given to eligible SLP program participants to serve as a start-up capital for the purchase small tools, raw materials, and common services facilities such as machinery, equipment, and plant needed in starting or expanding a micro-enterprise. While ST is a capability-building assistance to be utilized for the acquisition of technical and vocational knowledge and soft skills.
Participants in the ST modality are pooled together as a group known as SLPA. These will help them establish economically sustainable microenterprises and maximize resources within their organized groups.
Reed Crafts Making is a training focusing on production of household crafts made out of sticks.
Aside from the training, the Department has also provided starter kits that include spray gun, cutters, saw, flyers, carving knives, cutter, and scissors. By Babble Mae Gorio
