THE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) released more than half million pesos financial assistance to 29 dependents of soldiers killed-in-action (KIA) during the Marawi siege, bomb explosion in Lamitan City, Basilan, and clashes in the province of Sulu.
Lawyer Roy Buenafe, DOLE-Zamboanga Peninsula director, said the assistance is in the form of Kabuhayan Starter Kits under the DOLE's Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP), which provides tools, jigs and equipment to individual beneficiaries to engage in income generating projects.
Buenafe said the DILP is DOLE's contribution to the government's agenda of inclusive growth through massive job generation and substantial poverty reduction.
"We give opportunities to the poor and vulnerable by providing them access to a grant assistance for livelihood ventures based on their skills," zBuenafe added.
DOLE Assistant Regional Director Imelda Gatinao, on behalf of Buenafe, turned over the financial aid in check to the beneficiaries through to Esperancita Hupida of the Zamboanga-Basilan Integrated Development Alliance Inc. (Zabida), DOLE's accredited co-partner for the grant.
"As a member-agency of the Comprehensive Social Benefit Program (CSBP), it is DOLE's commitment to the legal beneficiaries of the KIA (killed-in-action) AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) and PNP (Philippine National Police) personnel to provide livelihood assistance," Gatinao said.
The amount released will defray the cost of starter kits worth P20,000 each per beneficiary.
Among the kits to be purchased were for commissary stores, commercial cooking, rice retailing, loading station, welding and dressmaking. (SunStar Zamboanga)