The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) spearheaded by Sec. Ramon Lopez, through its provincial office in Bohol turned over 430 Livelihood Kits to the beneficiaries of the Livelihood Seeding Program-Negosyo Serbisyo sa Barangay (LSP-NSB) and the Pangkabuhayan sa Pagbangon at Ginhawa (LSP-PPG) on March 21, 2022, according to a press release from the said agency.
The activity was conducted in two batches at the New Loboc Public Market, Camaya-an, Loboc and St. Isidore Covered Court, Poblacion, Trinidad, respectively.
Gov. Arthur Yap was also on hand to accompany the DTI secretary in the distribution activity.
Moreover, Yap expressed his thanks and appreciation to Lopez where the latter distributed benefits and livelihood kits to owners of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) from the municipalities of Loay, Sevilla, Loboc, Talibon, Bien Unido, and Trinidad.
Each MSME received P8,000 worth of livelihood assistance in the form of cash vouchers. These vouchers will be used by the MSMEs to purchase necessary items for their businesses in DTI-partnered establishments.
In his message, Lopez expressed high hopes for the beneficiaries of the Livelihood Seeding Program.
“Ang pangarap po namin para sa inyo ay maging masagana ang inyong mga kabuhayan at inyong mga negosyo. At itong maliit na puhunan ay para lamang matulungan makabangon ang ating mga kababayan na nasalanta ng bagyong Odette. Ito rin po sana ang susi sa kanila-kanilang tagumpay,” he said.
Lopez credited President Duterte and Senator Bong Go for facilitating the provision of additional funding to DTI’s budget to assist those affected by calamities.
The mayors from the aforementioned six municipalities also gave their respective messages of support for the program.
According to reports, Lopez used his visit to Bohol in order to find out the situation of the MSMEs here in the province.
DTI has been a strong partner of the provincial government in providing support to MSME owners, Yap said.
The governor added that supporting MSMEs is important. The MSMEs, the governor adds, are the foundation of the country’s economy.
Also present during the turnover were the DTI Assistant Secretaries for the Regional Operations Group Asteria C. Caberte and Domingo R. Tolentino Jr., DTI Central Visayas Regional Director Maria Elena C. Arbon, DTI Central Visayas Assistant Regional Director Esperanza L. Melgar, and the provincial directors of the four provinces of DTI Region 7 namely: Maria Soledad L. Balistoy (Bohol), Rose Mae M. Quinanola (Cebu), Nimfa M. Virtucio (Negros Oriental), and Angeline Pauline C. Gonzalez (Siquijor).
This set of beneficiaries is part of the over 3,230 recipients of the livelihood assistance for the 48 municipalities of the entire province which DTI-Bohol initially targets to distribute for this year. The distribution of LSP-NSB and LSP-PPG livelihood kits is done in partnership with the Local Government Units (LGUs) and the beneficiaries were profiled by DTI Negosyo Center Business Counselors prior to the distribution of the livelihood assistance.
The LSP-NSB and LSP-PPG are programs of DTI which allow a wider reach of business development assistance by bringing government services closer to the people through partnerships between relevant local government units and DTI. The LSP-PPG program is implemented in areas affected by calamities like typhoon or the pandemic.
These livelihood entrepreneurship programs aim to provide support to priority sectors and individuals through the provision of training and livelihood starter kits.