SAN TEODORO, Oriental Mindoro– Last January 14, 2016, ten Indigenous Peoples (IPs), who were victims of Super Typhoon ‘Yolanda’, in Barangay Caagutayan in this municipality were awarded with Livelihood Assistance Grants by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) IV-MiMaRoPa Sustainable Livelihood Program (DSWD-SLP).

Livelihood Assistance Grants are in the form of working animals such as nine carabaos, wherein one of the beneficiaries opted to replace it instead for 20 heads of goats and 10 heads of chickens to be raised for production and meat purposes. Cost of carabao is Php 25,000.00 per head.

This activity is part of the continuing rehabilitation and restoration efforts for the victims of Super Typhoon Yolanda in 2013. The cost of assistance initially extended was Php 250,000.00 disbursed from the Foreign/Local Cash/Cheque Donation Funds out of the Php 1,093,000.00 downloaded in the municipality to assist thirty six  typhoon victims.  Other support extended are in the form of motorized banca, fish nets, fishing gears, trade, and commerce and service projects.

Those who were given one head of carabao were also assisted by the Municipal Agriculture Office in registering the ownership of their livestock.

It is a blessing in disguise that the livelihood assistance grants were provided to them after another strong typhoon, Typhoon ‘Nona’, which hit Oriental Mindoro last December 14, 2015.

Each recipients were grateful for the assistance extended to them. “Maraming salamat po sa DSWD, makakapaghanap buhay na ulit kami dahil napalitan na ang nawala naming mga kalabaw,’’ said IP Dante Igna.  ###