Women, Indigenous Peoples, fiber weavers and fish vendors will soon have businesses of their own.
This as the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Davao Region granted a total of P9.7 million worth of livelihood to informal sectors and some local government units.
Under the DOLE’s Integrated Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program (DILEEP), DOLE has granted a total of P3.03 million for 13 projects benefiting 1,315 women, fisherfolk, and cooperative members.
DILEEP is the livelihood and emergency employment program of the DOLE to enhance employment creation for the poor and marginalized sector particularly self-employed workers with insufficient income, marginalized and land-less farmers, unpaid family workers, parents of child laborers, low-wage and seasonal workers, and workers displaced or to be displaced by natural and man-made disasters.
Among the big projects proposed under DILEEP were the P274,632 worth Banana Powder Production of Highland Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Toril, Davao City; Davao Oriental Market Multi-Purpose Cooperative’s Wheel on a Roll Project amounting to P450,000; Nego-Kart projects amounting to P350,000 for the ambulant vendors in Pantukan town in ComVal; Abaca Hand Woven products amounting to P205,000 for the Indigenous People Women Association in Bansalan, Davao del Sur assisted by the Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority (PhilFIDA); and the Water Refilling Station amounting to P497,200 for Mesaoy Water System in New Corella, Davao del Norte.
Other projects included meat processing, basic sewing kits, peanut butter production, food processing, vermicast production and Bangus processing.
Grassroots Participatory Budgeting
A total of P6.671 million were granted to seven LGUs under the Grassroots Participatory Budgeting Projects (GPB).
GBP, formerly known as Bottom-up Budgeting, is an approach to preparing the budget proposal of agencies, taking into consideration the development needs of cities and municipalities as identified in their respective local poverty reduction action plans. The formulation of proposals are strongly participated in by sector organizations and other civil society organizations.
Tagum City was granted P960,000 for Arts and Crafts Cum Livelihood and Motorcycle Repair Shop and Spare Parts Supply to 219 members of the informal sector group.
Ester Angoy, Tagum City councilor and chairman on committee on labor, said she is glad that the government is extending help particularly to the Indigenous People and the informal sector group.
“I enjoin the beneficiaries to sustain your respective livelihood that it could grow and further benefit more people,” she said.
Maco Vice Mayor Voltaire Rimando, together with some beneficiary representatives accepted the Certificate of Entitlement for the town’s Livelihood Starter Kits amounting to P1.7 million expected to benefit 300 members of the informal sector.
“DOLE has been a strong supporter of our livelihood projects and we continue to strongly partner to provide solutions to the employment problem in our area,” Rimando said.
Hagonoy town in Davao del Sur were granted P1.871 million for the procurement of fishing gears and facilities and for Skills Enhancement on Food Processing projects benefiting 408 people including Senior Citizens.
While a total of P2.14 million for the Davao del Sur towns of Sarangani, Sulop and Malalag for their common service facilities, Big Ruminants Production and Garment Manufacturing and Printing projects, respectively.
San Isidro, Davao Oriental was granted P881,000 for various resource-based livelihood.
Sherwin B. Manual/ DOLE11
