DSWD grants P1M to 5 CamNorte groups

LEGAZPI CITY --- Five Sustainable Livelihood Program Associations (SLPAs) in Mercedes, Camarines Norte received a P1-million livelihood fund through the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) recently.

Arnel Garcia, DSWD Bicol director, said Friday the SLP is a community-based capacity-building program of the government that seeks to enhance the beneficiaries’ access to basic social services and improve their standard of living.

“It facilitates interventions that expand the existing livelihood assets (human, social, physical, natural, and financial capital) of the participants so they may either have gainful employment or establish their chosen micro-enterprise,” Garcia said.

He added that SLP trains the communities to contribute to production and labor markets by using available resources and accessible market.

It focuses on starting, expanding or rehabilitating micro-enterprises activities that include entrepreneurship, technical-vocational, and soft skills training.

The SLP beneficiaries are the Maagap na mga Mangingisda SLPA, which received P169,000; Sabang Fisherfolk SLPA, P273,000; Colasi Breeders SLPA, P252,000; Colasi Agri-Business SLPA, P208,000; and San Isidro Labrador Farmers SLPA, P126,000.

In a separate interview, Nelson Palermo Osial Jr., DSWD SLP project development officer, said members of the associations completed various skills enhancement courses that provided them the knowledge and capabilities needed by their livelihood associations.

“The projects were funded through the Microenterprise Development Track-Seed Capital Fund modality of SLP under the 2019 General Appropriations Act,” he said.

Osial added that the SCF is a grant given to eligible SLP participants to finance the initial operations of their enterprise.

“Beneficiaries of this program are also recipients of the Conditional Cash Transfer government subsidy under the DSWD’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. They have a duly registered association and undergo a thorough assessment,” he said.