The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Palawan aims to complete the distribution of livelihood kits to 1,000 small entrepreneurs in the province by the end of June to assist in their recovery after the damage caused by Odette.
Provincial director Hazel Salvador said that the department has reached almost 50 percent of its target and continuously visits different towns to extend its “Pangkabuhayan sa Pagbangon at Ginhawa” program.
DTI allotted P10 million to assist in the recovery of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Palawan, affected by typhoon Odette in December 2021.
“Ang target namin for the whole Palawan is 1,000 sana. Isang libong maliliit na negosyante ang mabibigyan natin, naka-100 na tayo sa Dumaran, 100 sa Roxas, 100 sa Puerto Princesa so marami na. Hopefully, target nga namin sana before end of June. Identified na ‘yong mga beneficiary kasi right after ng Odette ay nag-ikot na tayo,” Salvador said.
The DTI initially extended assistance to greatly affected areas like Puerto Princesa and northern towns like Roxas. It is scheduled to distribute livelihood kits in the towns of Taytay and El Nido on Thursday and Friday.
“Sa Taytay kasi, karamihan talaga sa kanila ay coastal, maraming businesses do’n na tabing-dagat talaga. So, noong bumagyo ay marami talaga’ng naapektuhan doon. Pumunta kami doon, nag-post-disaster assessment kami, talagang makikita na maraming naapektuhan kasi maraming businesses sa coastal,” she said.
Salvador further explained that the chosen MSMEs underwent a series of assessments, verifications, and validations. She also said that because the department had a limited budget, the people who had the most damage from Typhoon Odette were helped first.
