CEBU, Philippines — The government has continued giving financial assistance especially to sectors that are badly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In Lapu-lapu City, more than 500 boat operators from the different barangays and group of divers were given P1,500 each by the Department of Social Welfare and Development through its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation.
The giving of financial assistance was in coordination with the office of Lapu-lapu City Lone District Representative Paz Radaza and the distribution was held in Barangay Maribago covered court the other day.
“Ato man gyud na gi look into kung unsay kaayuhan nga atong mahatagan ngadto sa tanan kay sayod ta nga lisod gyud ang panginabuhian karon,” said Radaza.
Radaza said the city is known as a tourism city and mostly were displaced and lost their main source of livelihood due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The recipients sought the assistance of Radaza last month to help them with their current situation.
For the past three days, from May 5 to 7, 2021, Radaza said that over 2,000 individuals in the city have received financial aid from DSWD-7.
Earlier, some residents of barangays of Talima, San Vicente, Baring, Tingo, Sabang and Santa Rosa who are beneficiaries of AICS program also received financial assistance at P1,500 each.
“Dili kita mohunong sa pagpangita og paagi didto sa kaulohan nga duna gayod kitay mahatag nga tabang para sa katawhan nga naglisud gayod karon sa krisis,” said the former city mayor.
In Mandaue City, 47 vendors from Barangay Canduman recently received P1.4 million worth of financial assistance from the Department of Labor and Employment under its Starter Kit Assistance (SKA) package.
The beneficiaries were granted with P29,000 to P30,000 depending on the requirements of their individual projects.
Just recently, DOLE through the Tri-City Field Office released the check amounting to Php1.4 million to Canduman Barangay Captain Dante A. Borbajo at the DOLE regional office.
DOLE Tri-City Field Office head, Director Emmanuel Y. Ferrer, said that beneficiaries will soon engage with various projects such as sari-sari store (frozen foods, dried fish and other items); dish vending; barbeque selling; eatery/carenderia; garment’s bag (bag making); overruns selling; RTW and meat selling; coffee machine vending; and snacks selling (tempura, kwek-kwek, hotdog, fish and squid ball/rolls); among others.
Ferrer said that Barangay Canduman is one of the many barangays within the tri-cities that have been greatly challenged economically by the pandemic.
The tri-cities are Mandaue, Cebu and Lapu-Lapu.
Ferrer said that they have partnered with Barangay Canduman for the implementation of the projects and they are optimistic that the barangay officials will be very active in monitoring the sustainability of these undertakings once they are being operationalized.
“A lot of these working poor have lost their livelihood due to border closures, trade restrictions and confinement measures. Because of these, many of them became unemployed and those considered self-employed were prevented to earn for a living,” said Ferrer adding that the barangay will also help them monitor the efficacy of the implementation of the projects.
As the DOLE’s partner in the implementation of the livelihood projects, the barangay will also take charge of the canvassing and procurement of jigs and materials required by each business undertaking as well as the liquidation of expenses incurred.
DOLE-7 regional director Salome O. Siaton said that Barangay Canduman and the DOLE will work hand in hand in strengthening the interventions provided to beneficiaries.
“With the assistance provided to them, we hope that they will be able to recuperate and expand their businesses and become self-sufficient, eventually,” the regional chief said.
Siaton also urged the beneficiaries to do their share and help the barangay lessen the number of vulnerable individuals in their community by nurturing the assistance they received from the agency. - GMR (FREEMAN)