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OIC-Regional Director of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office VII Shalaine Marie S. Lucero led the payout for the Livelihood Settlement Grant of the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) in Argao and Carcar City in the province of Cebu.

DSWD Field Office VII OIC-Regional Director Shalaine Marie S. Lucero hands the Php 15,000 Livelihood Settlement Grant to a beneficiary in Argao, Cebu.

A total of 2,726 beneficiaries across the province will receive Php 15,000 each as start-up capital to help them recover from the effects of Typhoon Odette that hit the province on December 16, 2021.

Beneficiaries of the program are selected based on the criteria that they have an existing business or livelihood during the onslaught of the typhoon and are assessed by the Sustainable Livelihood Program to receive the said grant by having the capacity to have a profitable and sustained livelihood.

The Livelihood Settlement Grant (LSG) aims to provide recovery and rehabilitation assistance for small business owners affected by the calamity. It is different from the Livelihood Assistance Grant (LAG), which provides start-up capital for individuals during the height of the pandemic. Beneficiaries of the LAG who have previously received assistance are prioritized for the LSG grant.

Director Lucero encouraged the recipients to continue despite the hardship. “We will rise up and we will start again so that we can have enough resources to provide our daily sustenance. But, we hope that this start-up capital will also help you become stable and your business grows profitable,” Lucero added.

As the agency’s capacity-building program for marginalized households and communities by helping them improve their socio-economic conditions, the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) provides financial literacy, simple monitoring of cash flows, and business development workshops to beneficiaries so that the grants will grow and have a sustained income.

In her inspirational message, Director Lucero reminded beneficiaries of the value of sustainability and resilience despite the difficulties that will come along their way. “There is a lesson we can learn from the typhoon or any other disaster, which is the need to be prepared at all times. We do not expect everything to be smooth sailing, but rather we need to acknowledge the fact that difficulties can strike anytime soon,” she said.

SLP intends to distribute a total of Php 40,890,000.00 to beneficiaries of the livelihood settlement grant throughout Cebu province. ###

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