Butuan City – Through the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), some 111 Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program partner beneficiaries in Brgy.Tiniwisan, this city have inaugurated today their General Merchandise livelihood project.
Attending the said activity are the program participants, the barangay local government unit (BLGU) headed by Hon. Demetrio E. Tableon, information officer Claire Pantoja of SLP, and the regional program management office (RPMO) led by program coordinator Roy Serdeña.
The said 111 Pantawid Pamilya partner-beneficiaries comprise the five (5) SEA-K associations. The participants decided to merge each of their Php10,000 capital seed funds provided by SLP to put up a General Merchandise.
Since Tiniwisan is a distant barangay from the city proper, access to basic commodities and other supplies have been inconvenient and costly for the residents. This inspired the program participants to realize this livelihood project, given that the site is strategic and the project is seen practical and feasible. Through the SEA-K fund, financial assistance and logistic support from the BLGU, and initiatives of the members, the efficient implementation of the project has been carried out.
During the construction of the building, the federation members had “bayanihan” or voluntary service. They extended help without expecting anything in return.
Rowena “Weng” Narzabal, SEA-K Federation chairman and a Pantawid Pamilya parent leader, shares her joy after receiving the grants. “Dako akong kalipay ug pasalamat sa tabang na nahatag sa gobyerno labi na sa SLP na naghatag ug capital aron makatukod mi ug negosyo (I am deeply grateful and glad with the government’s help especially to the SLP which provided us with capital so that we would be able put up a business),” says Weng.
A noteworthy support of the BLGU is also felt by the program participants. Through the BLGU, an area for the General Merchandise was provided.
Hon. Demetrio E. Tabelon, punong barangay of Brgy.Tiniwisan, shares that the construction of the General Merchandise is a stepping stone to alleviate poverty and improve the socio-economic well- being of the residents of the said village.
“Ako dili magduha duha sa pagtabang sa mga proyekto sama ani ug gihangyo nako na maghiusa ug magtinabangay ta tanan sa pagpalambo niini (With no doubt, I am willing to continually be part with projects like this and I am asking everyone to unite and help in cultivating this project),” he expressed.
Through its partners Ralav Corp and Cantilan Bank, the federation was provided an orientation on Store Management and Financial Literacy.
Further, the group has also coordinated with various regional distributors that could provide goods with discounts like Nestle, Procter & Gamble, Extract, Oro Grande, Pilmico and Breeders. With this, the store can now offer items with affordable prices and the community members no longer have to spend Php50-70 for transportation just to purchase goods in the city proper.
The SLP is a community-based capacity-building program aimed at improving the socio-economic status of its participants. It operates on a two-track system, in which participants are given the option to take either the (a) Micro-enterprise Development track or the (b) Employment Facilitation track after participating in social preparation and capacity-building workshops to be conducted by the project development officers from different regions.
Moreover, program participants are provided with the corresponding assistance based on their chosen tracks. Further trainings are conducted during the implementation process of the program, as well as monitoring and evaluation.###(MARY CARMELLE JUMAWAN/Social Marketing Unit/DSWD Field Office Caraga)
