TABUK CITY, Kalinga – In today’s program review and evaluation workshop, the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) said that livelihood projects funded under the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) for the year 2024 are earning.
This is corroborated by a report on the SLP associations’ financial situation that was given by the presidents and treasurers. It states that the selected business makes between PhP7,000 and PhP8,000 per month on average.
Twelve SLP associations received seed capital funds, ranging from PhP350,000 to PhP500,000, from the Cordillera office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to start a variety of microbusinesses, including retailing fuel, a grocery store, a water refilling station, a farm supply store selling rice and egg, “talipapa” and legumes, and an “ombak” motor service.
To fully empower the members and give them the necessary skills to maintain the group and effectively manage their projects, these associations received training in organizational development, leadership, basic business management, and microenterprise development.
The groups’ project were supported by the CSWD through Aida Bermillo, the livelihood program focal person, and Melody Cuyangoan, the SLP province coordinator, from the beginning of project planning and proposal development.
In order to help the recipients escape poverty and generate additional revenue through microenterprise, the DSWD and the local government have a close cooperation, as seen by the seed cash provided to eligible associations in the city.
These SLP-funded projects are monitored regularly, and members are required to keep record of daily financial transactions for transparency.
Through the SLP, the DSWD hopes to enhance the livelihood assets and improve the capabilities of the marginalized sector by granting seed capital to support establishment and operation of their chosen business. By Darwin S. Serion
