DOLE gives Kalibo workers PHP 4.4M aid

In line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s poverty-alleviation agenda, the Department of Labor and Employment Regional Office 6, through its Aklan Field Office, extended PHP 4,440,642 in livelihood assistance to 148 members of workers’ groups in Barangay Poblacion, Kalibo, Aklan, under the DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program.

The Barangay Local Government Unit of Barangay Poblacion received the assistance on March 5, 2026, for the implementation of the Bigasang Bayan and Sari-sari Store projects for Kubos sa Purok II, Purok I Bayanihan Association and Purok III C. Ledesma Bayan Association.

Central to the initiative is the Bigasang Bayan project, a community-based rice retail enterprise designed to make quality rice more accessible and affordable to barangay residents.

The Bigasang Bayan project will be implemented by Kubos sa Purok II, which is composed of 27 self-employed individuals and two persons with disabilities, and the Purok I Bayanihan Association, which has 52 self-employed members.

Complementing the rice retail initiative is the Sari-sari Store project, another community enterprise aimed at strengthening micro-entrepreneurship in the barangay.

Through the project, beneficiaries will be supported in operating small retail stores that offer affordable basic commodities while providing them with a stable source of income to augment household earnings.

The Sari-sari Store project will be implemented by the Purok III C. Ledesma Bayan Association, which has 67 self-employed members.

The DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program, also known as the Kabuhayan Program, provides livelihood opportunities and training support to vulnerable workers, including the self-employed, landless farmers, unpaid family workers and displaced workers, according to DOLE.

DOLE Regional Director Atty. Sixto T. Rodriguez Jr. emphasized that livelihood programs are effective tools for empowering communities and strengthening grassroots economic development.

“This initiative reflects DOLE’s continued commitment to empower communities by providing sustainable livelihood opportunities. We aim to support families in building stable sources of income while contributing to the broader goal of inclusive and peaceful community and economic development,” Atty. Rodriguez stated.

Through the Bigasang Bayan and Sari-sari Store projects, DOLE’s livelihood intervention strengthens both collective and individual entrepreneurship within the barangay.

More importantly, the initiative promotes economic inclusion by empowering small-scale vendors and community organizations, demonstrating how community livelihood programs can contribute to local development and community resilience.