By Leilani S. Junio
MANILA, July 17 (PNA) — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said Friday that it continues to help Yolanda survivors to generate income.
DSWD Secretary Corazon J. Soliman said that as a typical example of that, about 51 individuals from Brgy. Barra, Roxas City in Capiz are engaging now in Oyster Aquaculture livelihood project.
The project is a group enterprise of the Fisherfolk Association in the village and being supported under DSWD’s Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP).
SLP is community-based capacity building program conducted by DSWD as a support to the poor families who want to gain entrepreneurial skills or be employable.
The program increases the economic opportunities of families through the different modalities such as skills training, seed capital fund, pre-employment assistance fund, and the cash for building livelihood assets.
It is implemented through the Community-Driven Enterprise Development Approach, which equips program participants to actively contribute to production and labor markets by looking at available resources and accessible markets.
DSWD poured in some P1,676,100 as seed fund for the enterprise.
This coming month of August, the members are expected to harvest the fruit of their eight months of hard work.
Eleven-year-old John Well Detablan is one of those who cannot hide his excitement as harvest time nears.
John, whose father Wilmer is the president of the Fisherfolk Association, said that he does not mind being exposed to the sun’s scorching heat while staying in the river monitoring the growth of the oysters.
During his free time after school days, he help check the oysters.
Equally excited is Excelyn, John’s mother.
Excelyn said that they are thankful for the seed capital to invest in an oyster project as their alternative livelihood for fishing.
She added that the project is a great help to all members of the association because it provides them extra income which helps sustain the daily needs of their families, especially since fishing becomes risky during the rainy season.
Excelyn also said that being beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) has really changed their lives because it helps them cope during lean months.
4Ps is a human development program implemented by DSWD that invests in the health and education of poor families.
It caters to take care and help children aged 0-18.
Aside from the aim of empowering the children by providing cash assistance to keep them studying in school, the health of the children are also being taken care as well.
Parents of the said children are required to bring their children regularly to health centers and received the proper immunization needed to make them healthy.
The cash grants are provided to the beneficiaries who comply with the conditions of sending their children to school, bringing them to health centers for checkups, and attending the monthly Family Development Sessions (FDS).
The program is benefiting Excelyn’s three children for almost five years now.
She said that of the 51 members of the Fisherfolks Association, 32 are beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilya.
She said that the cash grants they are receiving every two months are helpful in meeting the needs of their children.
She described the program as an effective motivation for her children to go to school.
DSWD Secretary Corazon J. Soliman said that the program helps in changing lives of beneficiaries.
“Most of the beneficiaries of the beneficiaries themselves have proven that they can change for the better, with the help of government program),” Sec. Soliman said. (PNA)