Zamboanga City. DTI Region 9 OIC-RD Ceferino J. Rubio disclosed earlier this week that Pangkabuhayan sa Pagbangon at Ginhawa (PBG) allotted an initial funding of PhP 3,090,450 for the region. The initiative intends to support micro enterprises to resume their businesses after natural and human-induced calamities, including armed conflicts. Through this initiative, the DTI shall provide the following services: provision of information materials, enterprise development training and business counselling and mentoring. The main objectives of this program are to help microenterprises affected by fire incidents other calamities restart their economic activities, and provide livelihood opportunities for identified beneficiaries in areas considered as priorities of the national government such as KIA-WIA and NTF- ELCAC.
Rubio said that the funding will translate into livelihood kits/packages which is a package of assistance comprised of information materials, entrepreneurship training, and item/s like raw materials, tools, and/or equipment worth Php 10,000.00. These items may be granted to beneficiaries as actual goods through voucher or gift certificates which will be used to claim the approved items. This shall help them support the establishment of their business activities such as, but not limited to: sari-sari store, food processing, bigasan, carinderia, manicure, /pedicure, beauty parlor/barber shop.
Rubio added that beneficiaries of this livelihood kits/packages are the MSMEs whose entrepreneurial ventures are affected by fire incident, and or other calamities either natural incidents (situations caused by natural forces such as typhoons, earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions among others) and manmade incidents (human-induced hazard/s such as local conflicts, among others). The master list of affected individuals/families is being prepared by competent authority which contains basic information such as complete name of the affected individual or head of the affected family, home address before the fire incident and other calamities, location, contact number, among others.
Rubio further disclosed that as of the first semester of this year (January – June 2020), DTI Region 9 has initially distributed livelihood kits to the one hundred fifty-eight (158) out of the two hundred ninety-three (293) beneficiaries coming from the different provinces. The DTI Provincial Offices have facilitated the distribution of the first batch of livelihood kits/packages for each of the provinces totaling to the amount of Ph 872, 541.86. This includes Zamboanga City-8 beneficiaries at Ph 80,000.00 worth of livelihood kits; Zamboanga Sibugay-34 beneficiaries at Ph 345, 092.86 worth of livelihood kits; Zamboanga del Sur-30 beneficiaries at Ph 300,000.00 worth of livelihood kits and Zamboanga del Norte-86 beneficiaries at Ph 300,000.00 worth of livelihood kits.
Rubio remains hopeful that the remaining Ph 2,217,908.14 worth of livelihood kits for distribution will be completed by the end of the second semester of this year (July-December 2020). Validation of the remaining prospective beneficiaries who are former rebels (Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur), and fire victims (Zamboanga City, Zamboanga Sibugay & Zamboanga del Sur) is now being undertaken by the provincial offices in convergence with the concerned agencies. ♦
Date of Release: 4 August 2020