ZAMBOANGA CITY—DTI Region 9 OIC-Regional Director Ceferino J. Rubio disclosed earlier this week that Livelihood Seeding Program – Pangkabuhayan sa Pagbangon at Ginhawa (LSP-PBG) allotted an initial funding of P1,649,050.00. The initiative intends to support communities especially micro enterprises to resume their business after devastating fire incidents and other calamities, including armed conflicts. Through this initiative, the DTI shall provide the following services: provision of information materials, enterprise development training and business counselling and mentoring. The main objectives of this program are to help microenterprises affected by fire incidents other calamities restart their economic activities, and provide livelihood opportunities for identified beneficiaries in areas considered as priorities of the national government such as KIA-WIA and NTF- ELCAC.
Rubio said that the funding will translate into livelihood kits/packages which is a package of assistance comprised of information materials, entrepreneurship training, and item/s like raw materials, tools, and/or equipment worth P10,000.00 provided to families/individuals affected by fire incidents and other calamities including armed conflicts. These items may be granted to beneficiaries as actual goods through voucher or gift certificates which will be used to claim the approved items. This shall help them support the establishment of their business activities such as, but not limited to: sari-sari store, food processing, bigasan, carinderia, manicure, /pedicure, beauty parlor/barber shop.
Rubio added that beneficiaries of this livelihood kits/packages are the MSMEs whose entrepreneurial ventures are affected by fire incident, and or other calamities either natural incidents (situations caused by natural forces such as typhoons, earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions among others) and manmade incidents (human-induced hazard/s such as local conflicts, among others). The master list of affected individuals/families is being prepared by competent authority which contains basic information such as complete name of the affected individual or head of the affected family, home address before the fire incident and other calamities, location, contact number, among others.
To date, DTI-Region 9 has initially identified one hundred fifty-five (155) beneficiaries coming from the different provinces. The DTI Provincial Offices have already facilitated the schedule of the distribution of the first batch of livelihood kits/packages for each of the provinces: Zamboanga City-100 beneficiaries at P1,065,000 worth of sari-sari, bigasan, manicure/pedicure, beauty parlor/barber shop, and food processing on 25 June 2020; Zamboanga Sibugay-18 beneficiaries at P191,200 worth of sari-sari store, bigasan and food processing items on June 29, 2020; Zamboanga del Sur-30 beneficiaries at P317, 600 worth of sari-sari store, bigasan, food processing and carenderia items last 5, 9 & 10 June 2020 and Zamboanga del Norte-7 beneficiaries at P75, 250.00 last 16 June 2020 worth of sari-sari store items. Said provincial offices continue to identify and validate prospective beneficiaries who are former rebels (Zamboanga del Norte), and fire victims (Zamboanga City, Zamboanga Sibugay & Zamboanga del Sur) and are set for the second (2nd) round of distribution. ♦
Date of Release: 22 June 2020