FELISA village chief Mona Dia Jardin said over the weekend that 35 Informal Waste Sector (IWS) members in her barangay will soon get their remaining P9,000 each.
The amount is part of the members' loan with the City Government through the Self Employment Assistance-Kaunlaran (SEA-K).
Jardin's statement came after they met with the Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD) head Pacita Tero and other officials also last Saturday to discuss their change of plan on what they will do with their group loan.
The group loan has been the subject of a controversy last week when 50 waste pickers of Barangay Felisa availed themselves of a loan of P500,000 (or P10,000 each) with the city government purposely for trading.
But when they claimed the P10,000 at the People's House, they were made to return the P9,000 to DSSD, reportedly for safekeeping (to be used for their group project), leaving them with only P1,000 each.
The residents said Ma. Fe Tresfuentes, executive assistant for Solid Waste Management, who was the one who facilitated their loan, told them that their money, amounting to P450,000, will be used to buy a dump truck to be used in hauling garbage.
But the 35 waste pickers complained that they need their money back because they want to plan out a business of their own, instead of relying on a group project which they are not fully agreeable on.
Jardin came in to help settle the problem as the 35 complainants went to her rescue. But just this weekend, they were able to reach on an agreement wherein they will soon get their money.
She said the barangay council will just pass a resolution to support the release of the remaining amount to the said sector.