The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Negros Oriental distributed various livelihood kits under its Pangkabuhayan sa Pagbangon at Ginhawa (PPG) program to 29 former rebels (FRs) and calamity victims, an official said Monday.
Nimfa Virtucio, DTI-Negros Oriental Director, told the Philippine News Agency in an interview that each beneficiary received a livelihood kit worth PHP8,000 or a total of PHP232,000.
Virtucio urged the beneficiaries to fully utilize the livelihood assistance from the government to alleviate their living conditions and for them to have a stable source of income.
“The PPG is a program that provides government aid to FRs and victims of natural and man-made disasters for them to start up a business of their choice,” Virtucio said.
“This is not an ordinary ‘ayuda’ or cash assistance that the beneficiaries can spend freely but rather an approach for them to become self-reliant with the livelihood kits given to them,” she added.
The latest to receive the PPG grant were four FRs and three fire victims from Guihulngan City and two other fire victims from Mabinay town.
Virtucio said they also earlier handed out PPG livelihood assistance to 20 farmers in Sta. Catalina who were affected by the El Niño.
The beneficiaries get to choose the kind of livelihood they prefer, such as livestock raising and sari-sari (retail) store, she added.
The DTI monitors the beneficiaries to see if their businesses have thrived.
Meanwhile, Virtucio said they are also currently profiling 26 other beneficiaries for the PPG and hope to be able to distribute the assistance before the end of the year. (Judy F. Partlow/PNA)
