Biz training for 40 Davao bombing survivors start

FORTY Roxas Night Market blast surviving victims and their families have started their business management training this week as it is a primary requirement before they could get livelihood assistance from the trust fund sourced from the donations gathered by the City Government of Davao.

Davao City Social Services and Development Office Head, Maria Luisa T. Bermudo, said that the three-day training is being conducted for the first batch of the trust fund beneficiaries.

“They have started the business management training and they are expected to come up with business plans and project proposal after,” she said.

The chosen beneficiaries of the program are those whose head of the family died during the blast and the surviving spouse or next of kin who could secure employment from the private and public sector.

It also includes those whose heads of the family can no longer work or do not have a gainful employment as a result of the explosion.

The victims belonging to the informal sector are also prioritized, including those victims who could no longer secure employment from the private and public sector.

Bermudo said the second batch of the training is set on July 12 to 14.

He said that an estimated 74 beneficiaries are expected to benefit from the P4.5-million trust fund for livelihood programs.

Each beneficiary will be entitled with projects worth P10,000 up to P50,000 each.

The City Council initially approved resolutions authorizing Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio to use a portion of P8.9 million trust fund, which are donations to the city following the September 2 deadly blast that killed 15 people and wounded 70 others.

The total livelihood assistance was pegged at P4.5 million while P3 million will be used for medical assistance to the victims who are continuously undergoing treatment.

The Council has approved that only P7.5 million of the P8.9-million trust fund will be utilized initially for the assistance for the victims. KVC