KORONADAL CITY -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Region 12 has allotted some P2 million for the rollout of a livelihood project for beneficiaries here of the flagship Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program.
Abdulquddoz Barambangan, DSWD-12 project development officer, said Monday the livelihood project will be implemented under the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), a support program of the CCT or the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).
He said the project will benefit some 200 “poorest of the poor” families in nine of the city’s 27 barangays.
These are barangays Topland, Cacub, Sto.Nino, San Jose, Sta. Cruz, General Paulino Santos, Zone 2, Zone 3 and Zone 4.
Barambangan said they already completed the validation of the beneficiaries, which has organized themselves into a group and initially identified their prospective ventures.
“They’re considering to put up either a piggery or rice retailing business,” he said.
Under the program, Barambangan said they will help capacitate the beneficiaries on how to operate their chosen venture, especially on its long-term sustenance in coordination with concerned agencies.
These include the opening of bank accounts where they will put in their montly savings once the project takes off, he said.
Barambangan said they are closely monitoring the processes involved in the project’s implementation to avoid possible bogus ventures and make sure that it would benefit the recipients.
He said their goal is to help set up a viable and sustainable livelihood venture that would positively impact the lives of the beneficiaries.
“The initial implementation process is ongoing and we’re targeting to implement the project before the end of the year,” he said.
SLP is a multi-stakeholder program that aims to improve the socio-economic status of 4Ps beneficiaries and generate further impact on the government’s poverty reduction initiatives.
Along with the 4Ps and the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services or Kalahi-CIDSS, the SLP forms part the three-pronged anti-poverty convergence programs of the national government implemented through the DSWD.
In Region 12, the DSWD has allotted around P300 million for the implementation of the SLP.
Also known as Soccsksargen, the region comprises the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and North Cotabato, and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan and Cotabato.(PNA)
