The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Palawan will be providing 1,000 livelihood kits as recovery assistance to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) heavily affected by typhoon Odette in Palawan.
Provincial director Hazel Salvador said that after releasing 55 livelihood kits to affected enterprises in some barangays of Puerto Princesa, DTI Palawan is now targeting other MSMEs in different towns. She said they have already released livelihood kits in Roxas, to be followed by Narra, Araceli, and Taytay.
Salvador added that DTI Palawan is hoping to get P10 million allocation for the province to support the 1,000 affected MSMEs.
“Hindi kami mabibigyan ng P15 million ng head office namin dahil nga sobrang laki. Hindi lang naman Palawan ang na-Odette, marami pa, ibang region marami pang probinsiya pa, siguro masaya na tayo kung mabibigyan tayo ng P10 million. Kung maka-1,000 beneficiaries tayo, talagang very thankful na tayo, sana makaisang libo tayo,” Salvador.
According to DTI MIMAROPA, about P30 million worth of damages in MSMEs in Palawan were recorded due to the effect of typhoon Odette in the December 2021 report.
Salvador said that the initial aim of DTI Palawan is to reach 1,500 MSMEs in Palawan, but due to a limited budget, it is cut to 1,000 enterprises.
“Kaya lang hindi talaga kakayanin nong pondo kasi hindi namin pwede paliitin (‘yong amount ng livelihood kits)—hindi kasi siya ganon kadali gawin. Kung P10,000 talaga dapat ay P10,000 ang ipapamigay natin, kung ano ang ibibigay na pondo, pagkakasyahin natin,” she said.
She added that kits are amounting P10,000 each, which varies on the needs of MSMEs per town.
“Noong nagpunta na tayo sa Roxas, nag-increase na tayo ng P10,000. Ang unang pinamigay natin sa Puerto ay P8,000 each pa ‘yon, pagdating ng Roxas ay tinaasan natin. Hopefully, madagdagan ang pondo natin na ibibigay from our regional and head office—hopefully makapunta kami ng Dumaran and El Nido, ilan lang naman sa El Nido. Babalik uli kami sa Puerto, kasi marami rin sa Puerto,” she said.
Salvador said that the chosen recipients of livelihood kits underwent assessment by DTI right after the typhoon. The kits provided by the department include sari-sari store package, rice sacks, and a fishing kit, she added.
