QUEZON CITY, Oct. 20 — Almost a year after the liberation of Marawi City from the hands of terrorists, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) continues to help families displaced by the siege to rise and rebuild their lives.
Just recently, another batch of internally displaced persons (IDPs) from the city who lost their homes and means of livelihood during the siege has received livelihood assistance under the Department’s Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP).
A total of 364 families from Barangay Basak Malutlut, Marawi City each received a seed capital fund worth P10,000 from the DSWD to help start or rehabilitate their micro-enterprises. The Department targets to provide some 4,066 families with various forms of livelihood assistance.
One of the modalities of SLP, the seed capital fund is a capacity-building grant for micro-enterprise development of beneficiaries, enabling them to set up a credit and savings facility and/or manage an individual or group enterprise.
The awarding of the livelihood assistance was conducted during the second of a series of Kawiyagan (livelihood) initiative of the Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM) at the City Hall Compound of Marawi City on September 27.
Kawiyagan is a series of distribution of livelihood assistance to the displaced families in Marawi which is done on a monthly basis, symbolizing the synergy of TFBM and its partners in ensuring that the affected residents will directly receive livelihood support.
Some of the proposed livelihood initiatives of the beneficiaries include the establishment of community sari-sari stores, fish ponds, and other micro-enterprises. Meanwhile, other IDPs will use the aid to acquire seedlings, sewing machines, and other materials and equipment to enable productive and profitable livelihood projects.
Isnaira Casan, a resident of Purok 5, Barangay Basak Malutlot, is thankful for the livelihood assistance she received from the DSWD. The mother of four children has been consistently receiving aid from the Department, including Cash-for-Work; Kambalingan Package composed of family food packs (FFPs), hygiene and kitchen kits, and financial assistance worth P5,000; and now, the seed capital fund.
“Nagpapasalamat po ako sa ahensya ng DSWD sa patuloy na pagtulong sa amin sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay ng livelihood assistance at cash for work. Malaking tulong po ito. Ipandadagdag ko po ito sa puhunan ko para lalong lumago pa ang maliit na negosyo ko (I thank the DSWD for continuously helping us through the provision of livelihood assistance and cash for work. This is a big help for me; I will add this to my capital so that my small business will continue to grow),” she said.
More Assistance
As of October 12, the Department has provided more than P2.5 billion (P2,500,586,999.29) worth of assistance to 75,752 affected families since the start of the crisis. The aid includes relief, livelihood, cash-for-work, financial, cash-for-building-livelihood- assets (CBLA), and employment, among many others.
There are also 46,050 Kambalingan families (returning families) or 82% of the total 56,449 families from 72 barangays who have received aid from the Department.
The Department has also extended Transitory Family Support Package (TFSP) for 25,537 displaced families from the 24 most affected areas (MAAs) or barangays amounting to P1,565,650,000; and Livelihood Settlement Grant (LSG) for 30,522 families worth P720,410,364.80.
A total of 77,170 families have been displaced by the war in Marawi City. As of October 19, there are still 1,870 families staying in 39 evacuation centers in Regions X and ARMM, while there are still 57,193 families who are home-based IDPs in Regions VI, VII, IX, X, XI, XII, CARAGA, at ARMM. These evacuees continue to receive various assistance from DSWD.
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For more information, visit the Department of Social Welfare and Development at https://www.dswd.gov.ph.
