The Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office 1 ( DSWD FO 1) through its Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) ranked first and 7th on the effective implementation of Microenterprise Development (MD) and Employment Facilitation (EF) tracks, respectively, among the 17 regions in the country in 2017. This concludes DSWD FO 1 to land second in the over-all ranking on the implementation of both tracks.
Out of the Php317,907,479.91 obligated projects with 23,571 participants, a total of Php55,671,522.00 has been utilized for MD modality to cater 3,597 households from July to December 2017. This track focuses on starting, expanding or rehabilitating microenterprises.
Evelyn Real, 42, who graduated from the Skills Training on Business Management leading to Food Cart Business on 11 August 2017 and was awarded with a food cart business in San Juan, La Union said that the grant given to her family would be of great help in sending her three children to school. “Ti maganansyak to ket pangalaan iti allowance da nga agbasa ken igatang iti school projects da (The income I’ll be getting will be utilized for my children’s school allowance and projects),” she said.
For EF modality, on the other hand, out of the Php27,151,332.00 obligated projects with 2,659 participants, a total of Php15,065,215.00 has been utilized to cater 1,679 households. This track provides assistance to qualified participants seeking employment.
In an interview, Glenn Mirabel, 36, from Sinait, Ilocos Sur gratefully expressed his optimism and joy as one of the Security Guard graduates last July, “Napalalo ti yamanko ta nairamanak nga nabenepisioan. Barbareng no makabirokak ti napintas a pagtrabahoan tapno saan kamin (pamilyak) ton a maibilang a 4Ps. (I am very grateful to be included in the program. I am looking forward to getting a good job so we, my family, will no longer be listed as Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries).” Glenn, who is a farmer before enrolling in the program, admitted that the compensation he gets out of farming is not enough to sustain the needs of his growing family.
There are 23,618 served program participants of 2015 and 2016 who are continuously monitored, tracked, and provided with needed assistance.
A hundred and two Sustainable Livelihood Program Associations (SLPAs) were accredited as CSO beneficiaries of DSWD in 2017, 31 others are still on the process of accreditation. Beneficiary CSOs are those that are composed of individuals bound by common interest and or are confronted by a calamity, social condition, problem, issues or crisis and who organized themselves mainly to benefit from government projects or programs that they themselves will undertake.
SLP of DSWD FO 1 continues to serve its clients and beneficiaries with commitment and efficiency in 2018. (by: Janine Joy B. Altero, Social Marketing Officer, Sustainable Livelihood Program)
