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The Department of Social Welfare and Development Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) recently opened its weeklong trade fair and photo exhibit on March 11, 2019 at Parkmall rotunda, Mandaue City.

Dubbed as Likhang Hiraya: Pangarap patungong PagSibol, the activity aims to strengthen and increase the public’s awareness and familiarity to the SLP’s works, and its impact to the beneficiaries.

Models Hazel Jade Ybañez (left) and Fernando Villarin Jr. (right), SLP Project Development Officers, wear these chic and stylish raffia cocktail dress and modern raffia barong outfit made out of raffia palm trees from the municipality of Danao, Bohol. The creation of these unique apparels is supported and promoted by the local government unit of Danao.

“We wanted to increase the knowledge and information of the general public about the SLP of DSWD,” said OIC-Regional Director Rebeccca P. Geamala.

Adopting this year’s communication tagline, SIBOL: Solidarity and Inclusivity in Building Opportunities for Livelihoods, the program wants to promote its advocacies in relation to sustainable livelihood, and its multifaceted socio-economic impacts to people and communities. It also aims to highlight the benefits of strong partnership and collaboration of people and institutions in the program’s pursuit of sustainable livelihood.

OIC-Director Geamala added, “I dream and desire that our products will not only reach region 6, 7 and 8 in the Visayas cluster, hopefully, it will be brought to other countries. And, we will make these associations very strong and self-sustaining that can create more members and would employ others to ensure that they too will be accessed to basic services like income generation.”

The weeklong product display, photo exhibit and trade fair at Parkmall started on March 11, 2019 and will end on March 15, 2019.

“We are banking on the power of images and visual exhibition as effective communication tools to further educate and engage the general public’s interest in SLP,” said Dir. Restituto B. Macuto, SLP National Program Manager.

Highlights in the opening salvo included a launching of SLP book entitled Bidlisiw: SLP Compendium of Stories of Change; a demonstration of fashion necklace making out of shell covered by GMA 7’s Cecille Quibod-Castro for her DIY program; and, a very unique and creative presentation of products solely made by the SLP program participants through a fashion show.

The SLP Project Development Officers (PDOs) sashayed down the ramp with purely local and handmade products created out from the participants’ creative ideas and visions like sinamay products of Bacong, Negros Oriental; raffia products of Danao, Bohol; shells products of Olango Island, Lapu-Lapu City; Cebu and a fashioned dress out of recycled materials of Siquijor, Siquijor.

According to Director Macuto, Likhang Hiraya is a very timely and fitting celebration because it highlights that behind the tedious processes of the SLP there is remarkable beauty and art in what the DSWD SLP do and achieve together with participants. ###

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