THE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) recently unveiled here two of its special projects called the Dole Kabuhayan (DK) Livelihood Starter Kit and Project Nego-Kart (Negosyo sa Kariton.
The DK livelihood Starter Kit Project targets the poor and long-term unemployed like the out-of-school youths, women, parents of child laborers, indigenous people), disabled, urban poor, elderly persons, landless farmers and fisherfolks and other workers.
Beneficiaries are provided a livelihood starter kits consisting of a package of services that will enable then to start a sustainable business undertaking and become self-employed.
The Nego-Kart, meanwhile, is a project for ambulant vendors in making their existing livelihood undertakings grow into profitable and sustainable businesses.
In a ceremony held at the City Gymnasium, Nov. 5, DOLE regional director Ponciano Ligutom presented a total amount of P200,000 for the mentioned special projects.
Ligutom announced that ten beneficiaries passed DOLE’s criteria and were given starter kits for their house-to-house service-oriented projects like refrigerator-aircon repair, plumbing, snacks preparation and cosmetology.
Livelihood tools, equipment, materials and inputs worth P5,000 was given by Ligutom to Joseph Ordonio, Lauro Dugenia Jr, Tomas Acosta Jr., Moises Doring, Noeme. Alino, Imelda Teledorio, Lydia Celera, Ruel Buban, Maria Belen Mansayon and Alicia Modejar.
DOLE also awarded ten other ambulant vendors who sells fruits, fishball, juice and hotcakes, with their new vending carts and a working capital worth P15,000 each.
Ligutom identified the beneficiaries as Jose Ronnie Ugdamina, Felix Abo-Abo, Elsie Maturan, Robert Pasanting, Riza Pepito, Simeona Patiga, Diosdada Lacharon, Alberto Molejon, Erlinda Lamar and Michael Bajao.
The regional director then reminded recipients of their big responsiobility to the gifts given saying they should not waste the resources government entrusted to them.
For his part, City Administrator Raffy Amor, who represented Mayor Samuel Co, thanked DOLE for bringing its programs and services to residents.
Meanwhile, some of the beneficiaries complained that the worth of the items given were not proportionate to the supposedly revealed amount of P5,000 for each recipient.
Some of the beneficiaries told this paper that had DOLE given them cash instead of the items, they could have purchase the said materials at a much lower price.
One recipient of the DK livelihood Starter Kit Project said she could buy the hair cutting machine for only P1,500 in one of the department stores in the city, half the price claimed by DOLE.
Another Nego-Cart Project recipient from Santo Niño commented that what good is it for them to have the cart when the P3,000 start up capital promised to them by DOLE is still not available.
“Why don’t DOLE give us the P15,000 cash and we will assemble a cart worth P7,000, which includes already the bike. We will use the savings for capital,” another said.
REPORT BY JONG CADION