PWDs, store owners get cash aid

CEBU, Philippines — More than 200 Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and sari-sari store owners in Cebu yesterday received aid from the Office of Senator Alan Peter Cayetano and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-7.

Cayetano’s office partnered with DSWD-7 to extend livelihood assistance to PWD athletes in the city and other parts of Cebu Province under the agency’s Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), which aims to improve the socio-economic status of indigent and marginalized Filipino households by providing them with financial capital and skills training to engage in livelihood, among others.

Among the recipients were some members of the Philippine Accessible Disability Services (PADS) Dragon Boat Race Team, who won silver and bronze medals in the 16th World Dragon Boat Racing Championships of the International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF) held in Thailand last August.

The distribution of the financial aid was done in coordination with Cebu City Councilor Philip Zafra.

Zafra, in his speech, is thankful for the support of the senator and DSWD-7 for giving support to the people, especially those who are in need.

Meanwhile, a total of 150 sari-sari store owners were given aid by Cayetano’s office through the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) program of the DSWD.

The beneficiaries are part of Cayetano’s Sari-saring Pag-asa community, an initiative which he formally launched in 2021 in which he would provide capital to select sari-sari store owners struggling to stay afloat amid the pandemic.

The disbursement was held in the barangay hall’s multipurpose building, which Cayetano had earlier funded.

Present in the activity were Cebu City South District Representative Eduardo Rama Jr., Barangay Labangon Chairman Victor Buendia, DSWD-7 Regional Director Shalaine Marie Lucero and other barangay officials.

Rama said that his office, the senator and DSWD will continue to work hard and provide the services it needed whether financial, medical or even infrastructure projects.

Cayetano’s Tulong-Medikal team also set up a medical help desk for indigent patients in need of assistance with their medical expenses such as hospital bills, maintenance medicine, laboratory exams, and medical procedures.

The back-to-back disbursement of assistance was part of Cayetano’s mission to work with various government agencies and local government units to empower poor Filipinos and vulnerable sectors across the country. — (FREEMAN)