Some 390 Pantawid Pamilya cash grant recipients from Bolinao, Pangasinan, have turned into cash builders as their livelihood projects funded through the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development continue to grow.
From being small scale producers, the families were able to scale up their livelihood projects after receiving a P5,000 capital assistance each from the DSWD’s SLP.
Rochelle Pardon, 35-year old mother of five children, is a dried “danggit” producer. She is now earning at least P920 for 10.5 kilos of danggit produced in a day. She sells this at P280 per kilo or P2,940 as her gross sales.
Likewise, Nory Lalaguna, 48-year old mother of eight children, is now earning an average of P500 a week for her shellcraft making project. Recently, she produced 500 pieces of necklace bought by the Department of Tourism (DOT).
The SLP is a poverty reduction program of the DSWD, along with Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. Both programs are part of the Convergence Strategy of the DSWD.
The SLP assists the conditional cash transfer beneficiaries by helping them establish micro-enterprises through the provision of loans and skills enhancement training. The program also provides employment opportunities for non-entrepreneurial beneficiaries by linking them to private and public partners of the DSWD.
To maximize assistance for budding entrepreneurs like Pardon and Lalaguna, the DSWD in Region I organized the Self-Employment Assistance Kaunlaran Workers (SEA-K Workers) Association of Bolinao, a federation of 20 SEA-K groups composed of dried danggit producers. The DSWD will assist the federation in setting-up the Sheltered Processing of danggit at Barangay Goyoden, in Bolinao.
External convergence
The DSWD tapped partner- agencies to help the federation with production. The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) will train the danggit producers on fish processing, salting, drying and storage. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will facilitate the federation’s participation to trade fairs to penetrate wider market. The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) will assist them on packaging and labeling.
The federation will also be registered with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to enable them to access needed equipment or raw materials for greater production.
“This is proof that Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries are not just passive recipients of cash grants. When given the needed assistance and motivation, they can also create their own income,” DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman said.
“The success of the beneficiaries also demonstrates that when programs are converged, there is better impact,” Secretary Soliman said referring to the internal and external Convergence Strategy that the Department is undertaking.
Meanwhile, DOT-Region I Director Martin Valera also commended the Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries for their hardwork and determination to improve their plight saying “it is good to help these people especially that they have potentials of being entrepreneurs.” ###
