120 marginalized Novo Ecijanos get P600-Th DOLE livelihood aid

CABANATUAN CITY – Some 120 marginalized individuals from Sto. Domingo town in Nueve Ecija recently received a P600,000 livelihood assistance from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

The provision of livelihood was initiated by the DOLE Nueva Ecija Field Office and Local Government of Sto. Domingo through its Public Employment Service Office (PESO).

DOLERegional Director Atty. Ana Dione reported to Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III that the beneficiaries are mostly self-employed individuals residing in the 24-barangay town.

The livelihood assistance, in form of DOLE Kabuhayan Starter KITS, is a start-up business on various frozen food products and sari-sari store retailing.

DOLE Nueva Ecija Field Office head Maylene Evangelista said that the livelihood assistance will provide more opportunities for the town’s residents by engaging them into entrepr eneur shi p.

“There are only few businesses providing limited number of formal employment here in Sto. Domingo. With the DOLE’s intervention, we can enable their people to venture into small businesses through our various livelihood programs,” Evangelista explained.

“The challenge is for us to properly identify individuals who have potential to become entrepreneurs at the same time ensure that everybody has the fair share of opportunity to become livelihood recipients,” she added.

All beneficiaries have undergone an Entrepreneurship Development Training (EDT) on bookkeeping and financial management to ensure the proper handling of their livelihood projects.

The provision of livelihood assistance is a start of new opportunities for the start of the year says Zenaida Corpuz on behalf of her co-beneficiaries.

“Kami po ay nagpapasalamat sa DOLE sa ipinagkaloob nilang tulong pangkabuhayan para sa amin dito sa Sto. Domingo. Umasa po kayo na ito po ay aming pagyayamanin upang mas makatulong kami sa aming mga pamilya at sa aming mga kababayan,” Corpuz sai d .

Seventy nine-year old Corpuz has been an ambulant vendor for almost her entire life and continues to be one of the bread winners of her family.

Noel Galang, another beneficiary, also expressed his thanks to the DOLE for giving him the opportunity start a business of his own.

“Ako po ay nagpapasalamat sa DOLE dahil napabilang ako sa mga beneficiaries ng DOLE Kabuhayan Start KITS. Dahil dito sa bahay namin itatayo ang aming sari-sari store, masusubaybayan ko pa rin po ang aking mga anak,” Galang said.

Sto. Domingo Mayor Imee De Guzman, DOLE Field Office head Maylene Evangelista, and other DOLE and local officials led the distribution of the livelihood starter kits.

De Guzman, for her part, thanked the DOLE and assured the religious monitoring of her constituent-beneficiaries to ensure that their livelihood projects will be sustained.

— Jerry Borja/ DOLE-3 LCO