SAN MIGUEL – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office Caraga handed over three-units of motorcycle cabs to TIBOPA SLP Association in San Miguel, Surigao del Sur on February 10, 2021.

The project was funded under the DSWD’s Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) – a poverty reduction program that aims to provide poor, disadvantaged, and vulnerable communities with access to various economic opportunities.

Simultaneously, SLP also intends to improve the socio-economic wellbeing of these communities and to empower them by exposing the program participants to capacity-building activities.

The said project, amounting to PHP537,560, was proposed by the association because transportation in the municipality was burdensome as barangays in San Miguel are distant from each other. On top of that, some of the roads are too narrow or inaccessible and only small vehicles, such as motorcycle cabs can pass through.

During the turn-over ceremony, TIBOPA SLPA President Edgardo Drapez expressed his genuine happiness and gratitude to the DSWD-SLP and the Local Government Unit (LGU) of San Miguel for granting them the livelihood project.

He said that the project is a huge assistance to them, especially that most livelihoods or sources of income have been greatly affected by the crisis brought by the COVID19.

Drapez also made a commitment to ensure that the project will grow and the association will be able to buy more units – providing more livelihood opportunities for other families in their community.

“Amoang himuon nga mapalambo ug mapadaghan pa kini among mga bao-bao. Amo kini ampingan para kini mamahimong modelo sa tanang mga project diri sa San Miguel ug sa uban pang mga asosasyon. Dako among pasalamat sa DSWD-SLP nga nakadawat kami og ani nga klaseng proyekto. Daghang salamat gyud, DSWD-SLP (We will nurture this project well, expand it, and add more units of motorcycle ca. We will take good care of this project so that it may become a good example to other associations and projects in San Miguel. Hence, we are extending our huge gratitude to the DSWD-SLP. Thank you, DSWD-SLP!),” he said.

San Miguel Vice Mayor Rolmar Basalan and members of the Sangguniang Bayan graced the event and showed their support to the association. Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officer Lilibreth Empedrad was also present in the activity.