Cordova municipal social welfare officer Josefina Montebon (center) encourages the beneficiaries to sell products that are in demand in the area to sustain the store’s operation. (CONTRIBUTED)
Pantawid Pamilya mothers in Barangay Dapitan in Cordova town, Mactan Island recently opened a general merchandise store with the aid of the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP).
SLP is one of the poverty alleviation programs of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), which aims to enhance the socio-economic activities of the poor families through livelihood, capacity building and entrepreneurial skills development.
Carmelita Manayon, 44, Pantawid Pamilya parent leader in the said barangay, said that their group composed of 40 members has decided to put up a general merchandise store because they have observed that the stores in their area cannot cater to all the demands of the residents.
“We saw a bigger opportunity when we found a strategic area near a school along the highway,” she said.
Manayon’s group started operating last May 8 and is earning an average of P2,000 to P3,000 a day. They sell rice, school supplies, canned goods, toiletries and other items.
“We also display the products of other SLP associations like peanut butter and floor rags,” she said.
Manayon, a mother of three, disclosed that the store’s net income will be equally divided among the members.
“I can now save for my children’s education,” Manayon said.
Her husband Ritchel works as a factory worker. Manayon admitted that her husband’s meager income will not be enough when their children enter college.
Like Carmelita, members of the Dapitan SLP organization are optimistic of their children’s future because they can now help augment the income of their respective spouses. The group also plans to sell food in time for the opening of classes on June 13.
The DSWD 7 has allocated P309,839 for the sari-sari store.