DSWD SLP changing lives of its beneficiaries

Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) Social Marketing Officer Joanne Era Soliano, Junnel De Mape of the SLP monitoring and evaluation for operations, and Giovanna Abada SLP private sector partnership officer discuss the program. /Irene R. Sino Cruz

CEBU CITY, Philippines–While the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) helped encourage beneficiaries to send their children to school, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has also been helping beneficiaries improve their lives through the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP).

The SLP provides vulnerable sectors access to opportunities to improve their socio and economic well-being.

Giovanna Abada, private sector SLP partnership officer, explained that the SLP has two tracks – the micro-enterprise track and the livelihood track.

Abada stressed that their priority beneficiaries are those who receive financial assistance from the 4Ps.

On the micro entrepreneurship track, target beneficiaries have to go through several stages before they could implement their identified projects.

Junnel De Mape of the SLP Monitoring and Evaluation for Operations told Cebu Daily News Digital that the program started in 2015.

In 2018 alone, Mape said, there were 1,816 associations with over 31,000 members that participated in the program.

Majority of the program beneficiaries went into buy and sell business, he pointed out.

Sixty percent of the beneficiaries engaged in trading while 25 percent decided to raise livestock such as hog raising and poultry production. Others were into cottage industries.

Joanne Era Solano, SLP social marketing officer, said some of the products were showcased in Likhang Haraya, a product and photo exhibit, which was held last month./dcb