TORRIJOS, MARINDUQUE — The Sustainable Livelihood Program conducted a skills training on bag weaving last August 6-10, 2018. The Sibuyao Little Baguio SLP Association, one of the SLPAs in the municipality, together with some non-members, participated in the activity.

In collaboration with the Department of Trade and Industry – Negosyo Center, Local Government Unit of Torrijos, and Barangay LGU of Sibuyao, the objective of the training was to give additional knowledge and skills to the participants, and train them to improve the quality of their products.

The SLPA demand for baskets is perceived to be higher these days due to the strict enforcement of plastic ban ordinance in the municipality.

Contributor:

Fatima Concepcion, Project Development Officer II, Marinduque

Si Aris Magramo, 32, at ang kanyang maybahay na si Ann, 32, ay tubong Brgy. Balogo, Calatrava, Romblon. Mayroon silang dalawang anak na may edad na siyam at isang taong gulang. Bago maging benepisyaryo ng Department of Social Welfare and Development sa ilalim ng Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), si Aris ay namamasukan bilang security guard sa siyudad ng Caloocan, Metro Manila.

Noong 2017, napagdesisyunan ni Aris na bumalik sa Balogo upang masubaybayan ang asawang maselan ang pagbubuntis sa ikalawa nilang anak. “Nag-baka sakali lang ako sa Maynila. Naisip ko na may bangka naman na ako sa Balogo kaya bumalik na lang ako”, ani Aris. Siya ay sumailalim na sa Skills Training for Motorized Banca Assembly cum Fish Net Assembly and Repair ng SLP bago pa ito lumuwas ng Maynila upang makipagsapalaran.

“Maraming projects ang pagpipilian. May babuyan, manukan. Ang pinili naming ay fishing dahil pamilya kami ng mga mangingisda”, kwento ni Ann. Ang SLP ang nagbigay ng starter kit na naglalaman ng makina ng bangka, lambat, set gillnet, epoxy, pako, at iba pang materyales sa paggawa ng bangka.

“Bale nung February 2017 ginamit ko na agad ‘yung bangkang pampalaot. Maganda ang kita kaya Awa ng Diyos ay nakapagpagawa ako ng isa pang bangka nung Abril”, ayon kay Aris. Ang halaga ng isang bangka ay naaayon sa sukat nito. Ang maliit na bangka (hindi pa kasama ang makina) ay nagkakahalaga ng Php 20,000.00 habang ang malaki naman ay umaabot ng Php 40,000.00 hanggang Php 45,000.00 depende sa laki nito. Ang kanyang dalawang bangka ay nadagdagan pa ng isa noong taong ding iyon.

“Marami nang nagsabi na bibilhin daw nila itong bangkang bigay ng SLP. Ito kasi ang pinakamalaki dito sa amin kaya tinatawag nilang ‘hitter’ dahil napakaganda sa panghuli talaga nito. Sabi ko naman e kahit na offer-an pa ako ng isandaang libo, hindi ko ito ipagbibili. Ito ang swerte sa amin e”, kwento ni Aris.

Mula sa Php 18,000.00 na kabuuang kita (gross income) ni Aris kada buwan noong security guard pa siya, ngayon ay kumikita siya ng Php 12,000.00 (net income) kada linggo sa pangingisda. “Bale ‘yung sweldo ko ‘nung nasa Maynila ako e mababawasan pa ng renta sa bahay at pagkain. Kaya Php 3,000.00 na lang kada buwan ang naipapadala ko sa misis ko kaya kulang talaga. Pero dito sa amin, ‘yung Php 12,000.00 ay akin na ‘yun. Bawas na dun ‘yung para sa dalawang tauhan ko at iba pang gastos”, salaysay ni Aris.

Si Aris ay pumapalaot dalawang beses sa isang araw: simula 3 AM hanggang 9 AM at 4PM hanggang 10 PM. “Puyat talaga pero kailangan na maaga kasi doon naglalabasan ang mga isda”, ani Aris. Hindi naman problema kay Aris ang pagbebenta ng mga isdang nahuli dahil mayroon ng buyer na nakaabang sa kanyang mga huli. “Pag limang kilo lang ‘yung isda, binebenta ko na sa mga kapitbahay. Nagpupunta sila dito sa amin at nagtatanong kung may pwede ba silang pang-ulam. Binebenta ko na”, dagdag ni Aris.

Matapos ang halos dalawang taon mula nang maging kalahok ng SLP si Aris, “Nabayaran na namin ‘yung motor na hinuhulugan at nakapagpatayo din ng maliit na kubo para sa dalawang anak namin dahil nga mainit dito sa bahay. Napalitan ko na din ng mas malaking ref ‘yung ginagamit ko ngayon sa tindahan. Malakas kasi ang kita ng softdrinks sa amin”, salaysay ni Ann na nagpapatakbo ng maliit na tindahan sa harap ng kanilang bahay.

Bilang ilaw ng tahanan, ibinahagi ni Ann na mahalagang matutunan ng katulad nilang benepisyaryo ang tamang pagbabadyet at pag-iipon. Ayon sa kanya, “Ang kita kasi dapat hinahati ‘yan sa mga gastusin at savings. Hindi dapat mawawala sa paglilista ang ipon. Hindi naman kasi pang-habambuhay ay aasa na kami sa gobyerno. Tsaka mahirap mabaon sa utang”. Masayang ibinahagi ni Ann na dumami ang kanyang paninda kasabay ng paglago ng huling isda ni Aris.

“Bale ang pinag-iipunan naman naming ngayon ay ‘yung pagpapaayos nitong bahay. Tumutulo na kasi siya lalo na kapag umuulan”, kwento ni Ann nang tanungin kung ano pa ang nais maipundar sa mga susunod na taon.

“Nagpapasalamat ako na buo pa din kami bilang asosasyon. Lahat kami nangingisda pa din. Napansin ko kasi na ‘yung ibang asosasyon, hindi na sila nagpatuloy”, salaysay ni Aris nang tanungin ang kalagayan niya bilang isang mangingisda sa barangay. “Hindi naman lahat ay kita. Magastos din mag-maintain ng bangka. Labor pa lang ng isang tao umaabot na ng Php 450.00 kada araw”, kwento ni Aris nang tanungin kung paano niya inaalagaan ang mga bangka. Taun-taon ay kailangan din itong pinturahan upang manatiling maganda at matibay ang mga bangka.

Hindi din mawawala ang panganib na kinakaharap ng mga mangingsidang tulad ni Aris. Ayon sa kanya, ang lambat na pang-tulingan ay ginagamit talaga kapag malalaki ang alon. Naikwento ni Aris na mayroong isang pagkakataon na nakahuli ng halos 180 kilo ng isda ang kanyang kapatid gamit ang maliit niyang bangka kung kaya’t muntikan na itong lumubog sa kalagitnaan ng dagat. “Awa ng Diyos at na-rescue naman sila. Palakasan lang talaga ng loob,” ani Aris.

Ayon kay Ann, nasanay na ito sa trabaho ng asawa. “Dasal lang talaga. Kasi magugutom kami kung hindi siya papalaot”, salaysay niya. Maging ang pamilya ni Ann ay mga mangingisda kaya naman lumaki itong nangarap din mamuhunan sa bangkang pangisda. Sa katunayan, marunong din siyang mangisda ngunit hindi na nakakasama dahil sa tindahan at dalawang anak nila.

“Walang makakapantay doon sa kasama mo ang pamilya mo, nakikita mong lumalaki ang mga anak mo. Mahirap man paminsan-minsan, sa kanila ka huhugot ng lakas ng loob para tumayo”, ayon kay Aris nang tanungin kung ano ang pinakamalaking naitulong ng SLP sa kanyang pamilya.  ###

Convenience stores are often overshadowed by giant supermarkets in the city but for Sitio Malinsuno in Balabac, Palawan, sari-sari stores are important part of the community.

Being a thriving small town in the islet, Sitio Malinsuno is situated in the southernmost part of the province. All goods and services from the mainland are transported by water. Local residents literally rough their way to Barangay Buliluyan, (the last barangay at the southernmost tip of mainland Palawan) or to Barangay Rio Tuba (the most developed barangay in the municipality of Bataraza) to get their basic commodities.

Adding to the difficulty in transportation is that boats used to buy basic goods in the mainland are the same boats used for fishing as livelihood of the residents.

Aiding the Challenge through Small-Scale Enterprise

To aid in the inconvenient transportation of goods and services, the Department of Social Welfare and Development through the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) brought an alternative livelihood to residents in 2013.

A seed capital fund was released to 30 members of the Malinsuno Island SEA-K Association. After two years, members were able to pay the rollback amount to DSWD and were able to save Php 5,000.00 each. Then, majority of the members decided to pull out their savings to put up a community store in the village.

The Birth of Tindahan ng Malinsuno

Tindahan ng Malinsuno SEA-K Association began its operation in 2015 with two objectives: to sustain the benefits gained from the seed capital fund and to make basic commodities readily available and affordable in their community.

Aside from raising the initial capital for this project, the Malinsuno Island SEA-K Association members strengthened their capability as an organization to manage a community enterprise.

Through the assistance of SLP and other agencies, innovative policies were formulated through participatory processes. Aside from establishing the community’s credibility as an association, this also served as an avenue for the government to provide welfare assistance to the remote areas.

The continuous partnership between the partner stakeholders and the association led to the increase in their assets. After a year of operation, the community store was able to gain profit enough for each member to have a fair share of Php 8,000.00 and also to earn enough capital for the next cycle of its operation.

By the end of 2017, each member’s share has rocketed to an increase from a minimum of Php 10,000.00 up to a maximum of Php 14,000.00. At present, the community store is still rolling out for another cycle and its assets continues to increase.

Empowering Women, Empowering Community

Majority of members of the Malinsuno Island SEA-K Association is women. The implementation of SLP generated employment to these women. The birth of the community store organized and empowered the women as they now earn and provide income for their families. Aside from managing their household, they became key players in this microenterprise. Every member has his/her assigned schedule to man the store every day to sustain its operations.

This collective effort has brought a drastic change in the purchasing power and even the mode of purchase of residents. From crossing the sea to buy their day-to-day commodities for a relatively higher price, they are now able to acquire these on cheaper prices. In effect to the community, this has also neutralized the product pricing in the islet as other enterprises also lowered their pricing.

The birth of a convenience store that provided products at lower prices and supplied the needs of the local residents without them crossing the sea to go to mainland is a clear manifestation of the impact of small-scale enterprise to the community. ###

Contributor:

DSWD – SLP Palawan

ORIENTAL MINDORO – Kamakailan lamang, ang Sustainable Livelihood Program ay nagsagawa ng Local Recruitment Activity sa Calapan, Pinamalayan, at Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro nitong ika-29 hanggang ika-31 ng Mayo taong 2018.

Sa pakikipag-ugnayan ni Ginang Marites Pones, Private Sector Partnerships Officer ng rehiyon ng MiMaRoPa, ang kumpanyang EEI Corporation ay bumaba sa mga nasabing munisipyo upang magsagawa ng on-the-spot hiring sa mga aplikante. Ilan sa mga trabahong inalok ng kumpanya ay nasa linya ng konstruksyon tulad ng Masonry, Carpentry, at Tile Setting.

Apatnapu’t walong aplikante sa kabuuan ang natanggap at agad na pinag-asikaso ng mga kinakailangang dokumento upang makumpleto ang proseso. Sila ay nakatakdang ipadala sa Maynila at makatatanggap ng minimum wage na Php 512.00 kada araw, Overtime Pay, at benepisyo mula sa SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, at iba pa.

“Natutuwa ako kasi marami na akong experience sa pagma-mason at magagamit ko ito sa trabaho. Pagkatapos nito, pupunta na ako ngayon sa SSS para asikasuhin ‘yung mga requirements ko,” sambit ni Rolando Molina, kauna-unahang aplikante na natanggap sa Masonry.

Katutubong Mangyan ng Bongabong 

Isa sa mga prayoridad ng EEI Corporation na mabigyan ng trabaho ay ang mga miyembro ng Indigenous Peoples sa Pilipinas. Sa katunayan, dalawa sa tatlong katutubong Mangyan na dumalo sa aktibidad ang natanggap upang sumailalim sa pagsasanay.

Sina Mawin Daway, Aytag Yagam-ay, at Altan Angguman ay mga katutubong Mangyan na naninirahan sa Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro. Sila ay magkaka-baryo na ang pangunahing hanapbuhay ay pagtatanim ng saging at kamote sa kabundukan. “Nahihirapan kami sa salapi. Kulang ang kinikita namin,” tugon ni Mawin nang tanungin kung ano ang nag-udyok sa kanya na pumunta sa recruitment. Kwento ni Mawin ay kumikita lamang siya ng limandaan kada buwan at kung minsan pa nga ay dalawampung piso lamang kung natutuyo ang mga saging dahil sa init ng panahon.

Si Aytag naman, 25 anyos, ay nagbaka-sakali lamang na matanggap upang mapagamot ang kanyang ina. “Gusto ko lang po na mapagamot si nanay kasi may TB (tuberculosis) siya,” sambit ni Aytag.

“Kung makakapag-aral, pangarap ko po sana sa buhay ay matulungan ang aking tatlong kapatid. Nagtatanim din sila tapos nahihirapan,” ani Angguman, 22 anyos, nang tanungin kung ano ang pangarap nito sa buhay.

Si Mawin at Angguman ay natanggap upang sumailalim sa dalawampu’t anim na araw na pagsasanay bago sumabak sa trabaho. Hindi man pinalad na makuha dahil sa kapansanan sa paglalakad, si Aytag ay pursigido pa din na makahanap ng trabaho kaya naman mag-iikot pa siya sa munisipyo upang humanap ng oportunidad.

Katuwang na Kawani

Kinikilala ng Public Employment Service Office (PESO) ng Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro ang kahalagahan ng pagdaraos ng mga serbisyong pag-eempleyo. “Sa halip na lumuwas para mag-apply sa Maynila, lumalapit na ang employer at nalalaman agad ang mga problemang maaaring harapin ng mga aplikante kaya mas madali na ang proseso,” sambit ni Ginoong Lowell Anastacio, PESO Manager ng Mansalay.

Ang EEI corporation ay isa sa mga kilala at nangungunang kumpanya sa linya ng konstruksyon sa Pilipinas. Sila ay matatagpuan sa 12 Manggahan, Bagumbayan, Lungsod Quezon, 1110 Kalakhang Maynila.

Nagtipon-tipon ang mga benepisyaryo ng Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) ng Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) sa Bulalacao, Oriental Mindoro noong ika-30 ng Mayo taong 2018 upang tanggapin ang tseke para sa mga proyektong pangkabuhayan na nakalaan sa kanilang asosasyon.

Nasa 147 na benepisyaryo mula sa siyam na asosasyon ang tumanggap ng tseke na nagkakahalaga ng Php 1, 442, 160.00 sa kabuuan. Ang (1) Romvia-Poblacion SLP Association, (2) Cabugao Masagana SLP Association, (3) Nasucob-Maharlika SLP Association, (4) Cambunang Gintong Butil SLP Association, (5) Sea Shore SLP Association, (6) Nasucob Shooting Star SLP Association, (7) Tabok Malasugui SLP Association, (8) San Juan Tafarma SLP Association, at (9) Sea Side SLP Association ay nakapagkumpleto ng mga kinakailangang dokumento para sa akreditasyon.

Sinimulan ni Bb. Cynthia Apilado, Day Care Worker II, ang pagtitipon sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay ng panimulang pagbati sa lahat ng dumalo na sinundan naman ng makahulugang mensahe mula kay Ginang Florefe Y. Dimaala, Provincial Coordinator ng SLP at Ginoong Gideon Abuel, Municipal Administrator ng Bulalacao.

Ilan sa mga proyektong pangkabuhayan na nilaanan ng pondo ay ang tindahan sa komunidad, kagamitan sa pagsasaka at pangingisda, pag-aalaga ng manok at produksyon ng itlog, at buy and sell. Bukod sa pondo, ibinigay din sa mga benepisyaryo ang sertipiko ng akreditasyon ng kanilang asosasyon.

Si Ginang Michelle Andasan, Project Development Officer II ng Bulalacao, naman ang nanguna sa huling pangungusap. Ang pagbibigay ng tseke ay sinundan ng pagtitipon sa mga asosasyon upang ipaliwanag ang mga hakbang na dapat gawin sa pondo at ang mga responsibilidad na dapat nilang gampanan.

While tourists might have known or heard about the majestic island of Palawan, more and more people would want to come and visit the Philippines’ Last Ecological Frontier.

Simply describing Palawan as beautiful does not give justice to it. the It has been awarded the ‘World’s Best Island’ in 2017 by a well-known international travel magazine. With its abundant biodiversity, rich culture, breathtaking spots, hospitable people, it is undeniably true that Palawan is a paradise, a must-go for every tourist.

Zooming in lies Puerto Princesa, a city that has gone through a long journey from an environmentally-degraded city into one of the major ecotourism sites around the world. Add the fact that the city houses the famous Puerto Princesa Underground River, provisionally chosen as one of the New7Wonders of Nature in 2011.

Part of the government’s objectives is to maintain a sustainable tourism that will serve as a livelihood for its people and promote economic development. To obtain this, the local government of Puerto Princesa City initiated the community-based ecotourism in Brgy. Buenavista.

Community-based ecotourism is a form of ecotourism that emphasizes the development of local communities and allows local residents to have substantial control over and involvement in its development and management, and also a major proportion of the benefits within the community.

This form of ecotourism allows the participants of the cooperative to share the environment and their way of life with visitors. While increasing local income and building local economies, community-based tourism allows communities to participate in the modern global economy while cultivating a sustainable source of income and maintaining their way of life.

Participants are now empowered through local leadership by creating plans and encouraging clear and transparent decision-making. Community members actively make decisions on strategies and acceptable levels of tourism based upon the community’s culture, heritage, and vision. Strategies also equip local communities with the tools and knowledge necessary for decision-making, and to build effective structures to enable the community to influence, manage, and benefit from ecotourism development and practice.

Puerto Princesa, the Eco-Tourism Center of the Philippines, received a remarkable increase in the number of tourists in the past few years bringing with them trade and businesses in the city. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), in partnership with Local Government Unit, began the community-based ecotourism as part of supporting the advocacy of the municipality. They designed the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) to alleviate poverty through livelihood projects and employment facilitation. Community-based ecotourism in Palawan proved the power of sustainable livelihood and biodiversity conservation to alleviate rural poverty.

Contributor:

DSWD-SLP Palawan

Ipinagdiwang ng mga residente ng Odiongan, Romblon ang ika-171 na anibersaryo ng bayan noong ika-isa hanggang ika-anim na Abril ng taong 2018. Kasabay nito ay ang taun-taong Kanidugan (Coconut) Festival upang magbigay-karangalan sa patron nito na si San Vicente Ferrer.

Bilang parte ng pagdiriwang, nagsagawa ang Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) ng Agri-Trade Fair na nilahukan ng iba’t ibang Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sa probinsya. Isa sa mga nakilahok ay ang Ambulong Sustainable Livelihood Association ng Magdiwang, Romblon kung saan itinampok nila ang produktong banana chips.

Layunin ng Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) ng Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) na itaas ang antas ng kabuhayan ng mga benepisyaryo sa pamamagitan ng pakikilahok sa mga gawaing pangkabuhayan tulad ng trade fair kung saan naipapakita ang mga ipinagmamalaking lokal na produktong nilikha mismo ng mga benepisyaryo ng programa.

Photos from:

Chyntia Deocades, Project Development Officer II, Romblon

The town of Cagayancillo, located between the islands of Palawan and Negros in the Sulu sea, is endowed with beautiful beaches and rich marine resources. It is a 6^th class municipality which is home to 6,285 people.

Cagayanins are known to have a culture of eating sea turtles or pawikan. When it was declared as an endemic species, they had to give up this culture and consume other allowable resources that can be caught in the sea.

Living in a remote island was never easy for Cagayanins especially that they are dependent on the sea for their livelihood. The unpredictable changes on weather, including monsoons and typhoons, limit the stability on their means of income.

Given this situation, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), together with the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries, grabbed the opportunity to provide a viable alternative source of income for the people of Cagayancillo.

Since they rely on fishing and seaweed production, the beneficiaries organized an association called Cagayancillo Seaweeds Farmers Association that was created in February 2016 with Ms. Lory Aya-ay as its president. The association as a micro-enterprise will focus on seaweed reproduction. The marketability of seaweeds makes it a more feasible project for the community.

357 members of the association were able to raise materials needed for the project which amounts to PHP 4,500.00. These members had already been trained by the KALAHI CIDSS-NCDDP volunteer in partnership with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR). This had marked their first roll out for the project in February 2016. The Project Development Officer assisted the association to come up with a project proposal for additional funding for the plantation.

DSWD was able to fund the project with a total amount of PHP 808,962.00 where members currently generate an average annual income for the enterprise amounting to PHP 22,000.00 which had made an impact to the community.

The favorable coastal condition of the community made the production of seaweed propagates sustainability. Their hardwork also yielded frequent harvest and growing production in a short span of time.

Aside from the favorable economic results of the seaweed production, members also became more environmentally aware, thus maintaining their marine area free from illegal fishing activities. They become more responsible and vigilant in marine life protection and conservation, knowing that destruction of marine area will affect their primary livelihood.

Another impact of the project is that other fisher folks had refrained from engaging on illegal fishing activities as they saw the potential of seaweed farming as an alternative livelihood. The positive development in terms of economic stability, environmental awareness, and improved livelihood of the beneficiaries and the community are clear implications that the objectives of DSWD were met.

Members of the association are exerting collective efforts towards a goal of making a sustainable livelihood. The project that aimed to provide an extra economic power had a positive domino effect – a developed community resulting to well-groomed citizens living in a healthy environment.

Contributor:

DSWD-SLP Palawan