Sustainable Livelihood Program

New programs since the previous administration have shifted from a mere dole out to true empowerment. This is the case of the Sustainable Livelihood Program.

A community-based capacity building, it seeks to improve the beneficiary’s standard of living by enabling participants to manage micro-enterprises. There are two versions of this program: the Executive Order No. 70 and the Zero Hunger.

What is the EO 70?

The EO 70 series of 2018 builds the whole-of nation approach in attaining sustainable peace, creating the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) by adopting the national peace framework.

The framework of peace emphasizes social welfare and development programs, which is why the DSWD is one member of the NTF-ELCAC.

ZERO Hunger program

In partnership with the DSWD and SLP, the Zero Hunger is a special poverty reduction program aiming to assuage hunger and help people’s organizations level up their lives through livelihood opportunities.

Financial grants distributed

A few days ago, the provincial government partnered with the DSWD and ELCAC in distributing financial grants to five (5) Sustainable Livelihood Associations (SLPAs) under the EO 70 and 10 SLPAs under the Zero Hunger Program. The government distributed P4.83 million to these associations.

What the SLP can accomplish

The EO 70 program to end insurgency in the rural areas is a valuable move by the government because it bears in mind that poverty and lack of attention in addressing it are the root causes of the armed struggle. The government has already adopted a new framework from merely waging a war to insurgents to showing more empathy to the rural constituents. By doing the latter, the government can more establish trust among the netizens who long to avail more services to address their plight.

In dealing with hunger, the DSWD also uses the same approach -- giving opportunities to the participants so they can use their ideas and resources to earn a living. This could be what DSWD secretary Raffy Tulfo said early on that he wants to fine-tune the approach of helping the needy by focusing on empowerment rather than pure dole out. The dole-out mentality has been practiced for a long time and has produced mendicants.

If the government brings in an entrepreneurial mindset, this approach can cause the establishment of sustainable enterprises bringing more wealth to the participants. Teaching them skills and giving them capital to start their businesses are game-changing to stop the cycle of poverty.

The livelihood grants given to the associations — ranging from P180 to P280,000 each— are proofs that the government has done something. From this day on, the province can produce more achieving businessmen. To ensure the implementation of these programs, the DSWD monitors them.

Who knows, some of the recipients’ stories can be as dramatic as Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba. He used to be very poor and was rejected by several companies he applied for as an employee. Yet, he rose to become a legend.

If Jack Ma did it, so can our folks. Let the needy learn entrepreneurship because it can raise their standard of living. Enterprise is also the cornerstone of a nation’s economy.