Butuan City – The Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Caraga extravagantly showcased the products and crafts of its program participants during its 4th Annual SLP Congress on February 12, 2016 in this city.

The event was conducted with the theme “Karon ug sa umaabot, kalambuan atong makab-ot (Now and beyond, we will achieve development)”.

Attended by 200 partner-beneficiaries from the five (5) provinces of the region, the activity aims to celebrate the extraordinary efforts toward self-sufficiency and positive change of these people.

The event was also graced by Regional Director Minda B. Brigoli who officially opened the event and delivered an inspirational message to the participants.

Brigoli highly praised the 200 program participants who attended the said event.

“Sila ang ating inspirasyon na ngayon ay resource partners na ng ating ahensya (They are our inspiration and now has become our agency’s resource partners),” she said.

Brigoli also applauded the stakeholders, public and private partners who have contributed a lot in the program implementation.

“Because you are special, we made this event special. We will assure everyone that we will celebrate this kind of achievement every year,” she added.

Participants from SLP National Program Management headed by Director Gil Dennis Raposa along with Vianca Habli and Mitzi Tamayo, Project Development Officer III also came.

Raposa was the event’s keynote speaker. In his speech, he shared SLP’s thrust and priorities.

“The SLP is a strategy to spread prosperity among communities in the Philippines,” he shared.

“The program builds the capacities of its participants to engage in resource-based and market-driven community micro-enterprises, and/or equips them with the required skills and attitudes to be gainfully employed,” he added.

Raposa also encouraged the stakeholders to sustain their support to the program and its participants.

“Invest with us in our program participants who are the enforcers of the law within the society, experts in their fields within their communities, models of the youth and major influencers,” he said.

He ended his speech with a video clip that will commemorate SLP NPMO’s provocative tagline Paano Kung.

To further enhance the entrepreneurial skills of the program participants, a technical session with Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on Social Entrepreneurial Technique and Strategies was conducted before the program proper started.

Moreover, commendation to stakeholder, both public and private partners was carried out. Awards were given to Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), DTI, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Mindanao R&D Consultants, Inc. (MRDC), Butuan City Manpower Training Center (BCMTC), Winrock International Institute for Agricultural Development and Cantilan Bank, Inc..

Bangon Kabuhayan awarding ceremony was also cited to applaud the outstanding and invaluable enterprise initiatives of various SLP association or federation.

There was also a photo and product exhibit to celebrate the incredible turnaround success stories of SLP program participants.

Also part of the program was the “product walk” where the Field Project Development officers have modeled SLP Caraga products.

“Dako among kalipay ug pasalamat na nagpahigayon ug ing-ani na event (We are very happy and grateful that an event like this was conducted),” said Evelyn Inocente, a parent leader from Sibagat, Agusan del Sur.

“Lami sa paminaw na natagaan ug pagdayeg among mga efforts sa pagsustinar sa among mga nagkadaiyang panginabuhian (It feels so good that our efforts toward sustaining our livelihood was given appreciation),” she added.

Regional Program Coordinator Roy R. Serdeña assured that SLP Caraga will continue to hold an event like this and celebrate the program participants’ achievements.

“The program participants deserve this celebration and our stakeholders as well, thus, we will ensure its continuity,” Serdeña.

Established in 2011, the Department of Social Welfare and Development through the Sustainable Livelihood Program is holding Annual SLP Congress to celebrate the successes of our SLP program participants in achieving the goal of our Department which is uplifting the socio-economic status of our program participants through engaging in micro-enterprises or employment.

It also celebrates the efforts of Pantawid Pamilya member-families towards self-sufficiency and positive change.

Further, it aims to applaud our stakeholders, public and private partners who have contributed a lot in the program implementation. It is but necessary to give commendation to recognize their efforts as we continue to strengthen partnership to our stakeholders.

In addition, the program participants will also have an opportunity to display or promote their products and services to the public and find possible buyers or market. ###(MARY CARMELLE C. JUMAWAN/SOCIAL MARKETING UNIT/DSWD FIELD OFFICE Caraga)