Sustainable Livelihood Program’s (SLP) Php 1.8 million awarded to 175 Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries in Lingayen, Pangasinan upgraded their capacities in managing mini-stores commonly known as ‘Sari-Sari Stores’ by being trained on financial management.
Project Development Officer Gilbert Cariño designed a livelihood training that encouraged unemployed Pantawid Pamilya adults in the Municipality of Lingayen, Pangasinan for livelihood and gainful employment/ self-employment.
Purposively, this livelihood training is also designed for beneficiaries with current mini-stores but are not properly managed, unstable, or nearing failure.
With the Department of Trade and Industry – Pangasinan, the beneficiaries were taught on bookkeeping and skills in managing a single proprietorship business with actual demo and return demo of participants.
They were equipped with skills for them to be mainstreamed in the labor market and other various occupation, thus reducing poverty, PDO Cariño mentioned.
After the training, the beneficiaries were grouped into 6 associations and given starter kits amounting to Php 10,000.00 each. This was given in the form of grocery items that helped them start their own mini-groceries while maintaining a cluster mini-grocery.
Each cluster mini-grocery started with Php 33,000.00 from the share of Php 3,000 each for 11 members. Most of them identified rice, drinking water, and charcoal as their cluster commodities.
The Local Government Unit of Lingayen and DTI also shared their counterparts on logistics during the three-day training.
Community Networking of Entrepreneurs
Aside from lessening the competition among them, the association members appreciated their strength as a cluster group assisting each other in sustaining their own enterprise while maintaining their own cluster enterprise. “Malaking tulong ‘pag magkaisa at magkakasama. Nakakatulong din kami sa mga pangunahing pangangailangan ng mga members (The union of small entrepreneurs was appreciated especially so that basic commodities sold can be easily accessed by its members),” beneficiary Regina Rivera narrated.
Through the association and cluster enterprise, beneficiaries were taught to sustain open communication to openly discuss issues and resolve arising conflicts towards transparency.
For individual enterprise, a mini store is earning at least Php 250.00 a day. This keeps them hardworking. Since it is a family enterprise, the other spouse learned to minimize, if not stop, activities and assist instead in managing mini-store.
“Hindi na kami mag-aalala. Pagkatapos ng Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, mayroon kaming negosyo na dagdag sa aming kita araw-araw, puwede pa kaming magpautang sa ibang nangangailangan (We do not worry anymore. After Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, we have an enterprise which adds daily income. We can even lend to other needy fellow),” said beneficiary Miriam Vargas. (by: Iryn D. Cubangbang, Info Officer II)
