“Wala ko magdahom nga mahitabo ni namo. Blessing ni, kinsay magtuo nga nitambong ra mi sa barangay assembly tapos nakadawat mig livelihood grant (I did not expect this to happen to us. This is a blessing, who would have thought that we only attended the barangay assembly and after that, we received a livelihood grant),” shared Milagros Cabras, president of the Pooc Entreprenuers Association, in Talisay City.

Milagros mentioned that they gained valuable knowledge from the orientation, which motivated them to complete the 3-day assembly and establish an association. On April 21, 2024, they officially formed their association, consisting of 24 strong women who are housewives and active members of the women’s association in their village.

The Pooc Entrepreneurs Association, under Executive Order #70, received grants from the Sustainable Livelihood Program. This program targets residents in Conflict Vulnerable Areas (CVA). The SLPA, formed under EO70, will receive Php 300,000 as a Seed Capital Fund (SCF) for their proposed enterprise.

“Sa unang adlaw sa among pag sugod ug tinda, nihalin mi ug 26,000 sugod ato amo gyud kining gipaningkamotan nga tuloy2x na gyud ug among ma prove wrong ang uban nga nag-ingon nga dili mag dugay ang among grupo ug ang tindahan (On the first day when we started our store, we sold 26,000, we are really trying to keep it up and we will prove wrong to others who say that our group and the store will not last long),” reveals Milagros.

Their earnings on their 1st day motivated the members to double their efforts and cheerfully take turns manning the store. Their daily earnings range from 17,000 to 19,000. Two months later, their earnings reached more than 271,000.

The association was hopeful that they could sustain their business and face future challenges, as they were confident in the skills acquired with the support of the project development officer in their area. The project development officer provided technical assistance in record-keeping and business management. Gloria Dasera, the SLPA’s Treasurer expressed her gratitude to the program for this opportunity, stating “Og magkalisod ko aning pag handle sa among kwarta naa man dayon si sir Anthony ang SLP PDO, nga motabang nako na mapasayon ang akong pag record, andam kaayo siya permi (If I had difficulty handling our financial records, Sir Anthony, the SLP PDO, was always ready to help and make the work easier).”

Gloria mentioned that the store is their highest achievement and a blessing. She added that this opportunity would not have been possible without the Sustainable Livelihood Program. Gloria also thanked the Barangay Local Government Unit (BLGU) for providing them with the old Barangay Hall as their store without charging any rent.

The organization is looking to expand its business. Gloria said in a dialect that their association plans to sell home-cooked meals, ”I want us to offer everything that people in the community are looking for,” Gloria expressed as they discussed their two-year plan.

For them, achieving their dream of having a successful business won’t be difficult with the support, and they are immensely grateful to DSWD through SLP. ###

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