DOLE 12 offers livelihood projects for the poor under PGMA’s Hunger Mitigation-anti poverty Program

In line with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s hunger-mitigation program, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), through its local office in Region 12 or Southwestern Mindanao, set to launch an anti-poverty initiative that provides livelihood opportunities for displaced workers and other disadvantaged residents in the region next month.

DOLE Regional Office 12 will offer a package of services that enables its beneficiaries to immediately start their own livelihood projects and become self-employed. The package, dubbed as DOLE Kabuhayan starter kit and Nego Kart (Negosyo sa Kariton), will essentially help teach displaced workers and poor residents on how to sustain self-employment through easy-to-learn livelihood undertakings and eventually expand them. The package will benefit particularly the ambulant vendors in major cities and make their existing livelihood grow into profitable and sustainable businesses. The said beneficiaries may avail the acquisition of a vending cart and accessory livelihood tools; working capital for procurement or production of marketable goods or services (raw materials and other inputs); trainings on production skills, entrepreneurship and business management; and, business permit to operate in a designated area.

According to Ms Gloria tango, DOLE Region 12 director, the said project is part of the agency’s continuing efforts to help improve the socio-economic well-being of workers in the formal economy, those in groups or sectors with special concerns as well as displaced local and overseas workers and their families. DOLE, as one of the government’s line agencies which support and implement hunger-mitigation program of President Arroyo, was delegated to assist the people on how to generate income and support their family’s needs through enhancing income and providing employment opportunities. The project mainly targets poor individuals who have long been unemployed and those who were lack of opportunities to land a regular job. These include the out of school youths, women, parents of child laborers, indigenous people, physically/occupationally disabled persons, urban poor folks, elderly persons, landless farmers/fisherfolks and other workers in the informal economy. These prospective beneficiaries will be required to enroll with social protection services like the Social Security System, Philippine Health Insurance Corp. or PhilHealth and other alternative social protection schemes as part of their business operations.

The said project also offers simple house-to- house service-oriented skills such as massage, plumbing, cosmetology, electrical servicing, welding, native snack preparation, car wash, motorcycle repair, cellular phone repair and appliance repair.