DTI gives P2.5-M livelihood kits to ‘Odette’ victims in NegOr

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Negros Oriental has released more than P2.5 million in livelihood kits to Typhoon “Odette” victims in the province following the receipt of additional funds from its regional office.

DTI-Negros Oriental provincial director Nimfa Virtucio said yesterday that the latest to receive the livelihood assistance are beneficiaries from the province’s Ayungon town.

“Distribution of livelihood kits of P7,500 each is currently ongoing in Ayungon today but we have already given the same to other beneficiaries in other towns earlier this month,” Virtucio said.

The assistance is handed out to the beneficiaries through the agency’s Livelihood Seeding Program, which has two components — Negosyo Serbisyo sa Barangay, and Pangkabuhayan sa Pagbangon at Ginhawa.

Virtucio said these beneficiaries were already profiled last March but the provincial DTI office ran out of funds so they were unable to receive the livelihood kits like those that were given to other typhoon victims earlier.

“Fortunately, the DTI Region 7 office had excess funds so we requested additional allocation for those people that were affected by Typhoon ‘Odette,’” she said.

The beneficiaries of livelihood kits this November are those in La Libertad, at 65, Jimalalud (45), Bindoy (22), Tayasan (43), and Ayungon (180), Jade Krystle Bato, DTI-Negros Oriental information officer, said.

She said each livelihood kit normally costs P8,000 but to ensure that all those profiled will be given assistance, the DTI Region 7 had to lower it to P7,500 each.

The additional funding totaled P2.580 million, she added.