Some 119 displaced workers from the tourism sector in the municipality of Taytay have received cash grants from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to help them shift to new livelihood enterprises.
Project Development Officer II Francis Victor Ruizo of the DSWD Taytay Sustainable Livelihood Program said Friday that selected residents of the town were given P10,000 to P15,000 in financial assistance to start their livelihood enterprises after being displaced by the pandemic.
“Hindi siya pare-parehas, depende sa na-propose nila na project. Ang pinakamataas ay P15,000, ito ay from P10,000 to P15,000. Residents sila ng Taytay pero working sila sa iba-ibang lugar tulad ng El Nido, basta sa tourism sector,” he said.
“Lahat ‘yon ay mga natanggal na empleyado ng hotels, restaurants, bars, travel agencies, boat crew, boatman, lahat ng tourism-related business, lahat ng mga hindi na nagtuloy na businesses, apektado sila dahil sa quarantine,” he added.
Ruizo said that most of the businesses that proposed to them for financial assistance were into online selling of goods, fishing, crab hunting, seaweeds farming, vegetable gardening, RTW retail, specialized service, and junk or debris collection and trading.
“Lahat ng nakatanggap doon ay endorsed ng Tourism Office ng Taytay. Kung sakali mapondohan ng DSWD, priority ‘yong mga nawalan ng trabaho kaya nagkaroon kami niyan,” he said.
Based on the copy of the Livelihood Recovery Project Proposal given by Ruizo, an amount of P1,200,000 were allotted by the department as a livelihood assistance grant for the beneficiaries.
“This is a recovery program ng DSWD, not relief kasi meron siyang kondisyon kung tatanggapin nila, kailangan ay mapalago nila in at least two years. Ang kapalit lang non ay kailangan may savings sila. Every month sila imo-monitor para hindi talaga bumagsak. Ang binabangon natin dito ay economy,” he added.
